


Windfall

by Scribbles97



Series: Windfall [1]
Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Whump, Extended Family, F/M, M/M, One Big Happy Family, Original Character(s), Tracy Family - Freeform, Whump, relationship whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2019-11-04 00:01:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 28,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17887661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scribbles97/pseuds/Scribbles97
Summary: All it takes is a gust of wind to blow the apples from the tree.Warning for a couple of swears and whump in vague detail.Can be read as a stand-alone or as part of A Family Affair timeline





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Gumnut](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gumnut/gifts).



> This has been a long time in the making with going back and forth on different projects but I've finally got there with it with lots of help from @gumnut-logic so credit is all on you really Nutty for getting me into writing this. 
> 
> Can be read individually or as part of the Beautiful Song Universe.

“Daddy!” Lucy exclaimed, dropping her pencil to rush over to him. He laughed as he caught her, holding his free arm out for Luke as he also reached them.

 

“You kids been being good for your uncle?”

 

“Like butter wouldn’t melt.”

 

Looking up at his brother’s chuckle, Scott smiled, “Glad to hear it.”

 

He kissed the tops of both children’s heads before shifting to stand up, “Your Mom will be back soon, how about you tidy up and then we can go down to the beach?”

 

Both their eyes widened as grins spread across their faces, each turning to collect their things into a pile. Scott had to laugh quietly to himself, wondering if the novelty of a beach on their doorstep would ever wear off for the children, it never had for him after all. 

 

Luke was the first to turn back to him, “Can we go ‘nd wait at the lift for Mommy?”

 

“Only if you take Finn with you,” Virgil told them, crouching to pick up the pencils they had missed on the floor. 

The twins’ faces lit up both pausing for a moment to check with their father. At his gentle nod they were both gone, excited to greet the rest of their family after the long rescue. 

 

Scott didn’t miss Virgil watching after them as they ran off, a look in his eye that he’d seen mirrored in Gordon’s and that he knew he probably often wore himself without realising it. Grinning he raised an eyebrow at him, “Broody?”

He had to give him some credit for not jumping straight to denying the statement. Instead he shrugged, putting the pencils in the plastic cup before he sat back on the sofa. 

 

“Maybe a little.”

 

It was Scott’s nature to pounce on the admission, to probe until he got more information and a straight answer.

 

“Why don’t you--”

 

Virgil’s raised eyebrow made him stop as his younger brother shook his head, shutting off the question before it had even got to it’s point.

 

“Brains is hardly the paternal sort.”

 

Scott gestured out to the lounge, “But  _ you _ are.”

 

Virgil pushed himself up, making Scott’s shoulders sink when he shook his head, “It’s not an issue right now Scott, don’t make it one for me.”

 

He sighed as Virgil went to move away, knowing when he was better off not pushing.

“Thanks for looking after them,”

 

Virgil snorted, turning back with a glance towards the kitchen, “Could hardly leave them for three days with Grandma’s cooking,”

 

Scott shrugged, “We lasted long enough, besides, it was meant to be your week away with Brains this week,”

 

Virgil stilled, scratching the back of his head as he looked down, making Scott wonder just how their engineer had taken the decision to not take the week away from the island as planned. It hadn’t been brought up whilst they’d been on the rescue, but Scott had a feeling it would just be a matter of time before it got mentioned by one brother or another. 

 

“We’ve had our evenings, I couldn’t leave Penny on her own with three kids under six and another one on the way.”

 

“I do hope you’re not trying to use me as an excuse, Virgil?”

 

Scott grinned as she joined them in the den, her eyes hard as she looked between them, “You could have still gone away.”

 

“I could have gone and helped with the rescue,” Virgil looked to Scott, “My ankle’s fine.”

 

Penny’s bark of laughter cut off the reply on Scott’s tongue, “If it were anyone else you wouldn’t have allowed them to go, take some of your own advice.”

 

He knew Virgil would have a response, the soft glare was warning enough that he had a sharp word or two ready at his own defence. Before his younger brother got to speak though, there was a low rumbling from the far side of the island.

 

“That’ll be them back,” Scott sighed as he pushed himself up from his seat, “You coming down?”

Penny shook her head, smiling softly as she watched both men stand, “I’m sure they’ll be up eventually,”

 

Virgil chuckled, squeezing her shoulder as he passed, “I’ll nudge them in this direction.”

 

She caught his hand before he let go, “Talk to Brains.”

 

He looked towards where Scott was heading off, shrugging before he murmured back, “I will, when I get chance.”

 

*****

 

He hesitated at the door of the lab, biting the inside of his lip as he watched Brains at work. Penny’s words were still ringing in his ears, as was Scott’s comment. 

It wasn’t the time though, he was tired after too many late nights stopping up to monitor the progress of the rescue. 

 

_ You’re just making excuses _ . 

 

Shaking the thought from his head, he stepped into the room, catching a screwdriver as it went to roll off of the work bench. He watched for a moment, silent as Brains soldered the circuit board. 

 

“What are you doing?” He murmured when he set down his tools. 

 

Pushing his glasses up his nose, Brains looked up to him, “Updating the PODs c-circuitry. They’re w-w-well overdue an update.”

 

He looked back to the circuit board, picking up the tools again, “How was your day with Lucy and Luke?”

 

Virgil couldn’t help his smile as he leant on the corner of the work bench. Folding his arms he shrugged, “It was nice, they liked doing the art, Lucy sat at the piano with me a little,”

 

Brains nodded leaning down more to the wires he was fixing. It took a long moment for him to respond, when he eventually looked up to push his glasses up his nose he gave a short nod, “W-well… I’m g-g-glad you had a good day.”

 

Virgil bit his lip again, looking around the bare stone of the cavernous space of the workshop. Brains was working and his mind was focussed elsewhere.

 

_ No point forcing conversation _ . He told himself, shifting to stand straight.

 

“Well,” He sighed, “I”m going to head upstairs, if you want to come?”

 

Brains set down his tools again, frowning for a short moment before he spoke, “N—n—not-”

 

“Virgil, can you come to the lounge?” Scott interrupted, “We’ve got a sort of situation.”

 

He wanted to glare at his brother’s hologram, but instead looked to Brains in disappointment. The conversation definitely hadn’t been meant to happen that night.

 

“F.A.B Scott.”


	2. Chapter 2

Scott was pacing when Virgil reached the lounge. Gordon raised a hand to him in greeting before looking back to John’s hologram in the centre of the room. 

“What’ve I missed?” He asked the room, standing on the edge of the den with folded arms.

 

“We’re needed for a hostage situation,” Alan summarised, leant forward, elbows leant on his knees, “Scott doesn’t like it.”

 

“We're a rescue organisation not an international deal broker!” Scott snapped, spreading his arm across the room.

 

Gordon shrugged, “Technically we're both, what with the business and all,”

 

“Not the time Gordo,” Virgil murmured with a shake of his head as Scott glared at their younger brother.

 

Looking to John’s hologram in the centre of the room, he raised his chin in question, “John?”

 

His older brother nodded, looking direct at him, “Eos intercepted a distress message, a basic morse SOS signal. We lost it for a period and then received a threat. Apparently the SOS came from a group of hostages, we’re not sure who they are but Eos managed to trace the land as belonging to GDF.”

 

Virgil frowned, already on edge, “What was the threat?”

 

“Follow their demands or they will kill the hostages.” Gordon summed up with folded arms, face grim. 

 

“Demands?” He prompted. 

 

“An untracked transport plane, two of us, and nothing else.” Jen told him with a sigh.

 

He caught Scott’s glare across the room towards her, “You’re  _ not _ going.”

 

Her eyes rolled, and Virgil could guess it had already caused a fight between the couple. Pursing his lips he glanced between them both, wondering if their disagreement would cause more issues than first expected. 

“What does the GDF have to say about us going?” He asked.

 

“That’s their final demand, don’t tell the GDF.” John stated, shaking his head as he frowned at something out of their view, “I sent an encrypted message to Casey, asking about it, she confirmed it’s a situation they are aware of and instructed us to stay clear.”

 

“I disagree.” Kayo cut in, “If we don’t act, what are they going to do?”

 

Alan sat straighter, young eyes wide, “We can’t let them kill them.”

 

“Exactly!” Jen snapped, “Scott, we have to go! What if there’s kids there?”

 

Scott’s shoulders had sunk, his fight fading as he sunk down on the sofa rubbing his face, “It’s not that I don’t  _ want _ to go, but you have to think of the practicalities here.” He gestured around, “Like, which of us is going to go? Whoever’s left is going to be short handed if someone has to stop with the kids.”

 

Virgil could see his point, they had too few staff on a good day. It was a job meant for the GDF, something John should have handed over to them the minute it had come in. The silence in the room was enough to make the point, it wasn’t their place to take on such a job.

Except they had seen hostage situations before, been the ones kidnapped. With a glance to Scott he knew his brother was thinking the same thing, the petrifying fear undoubtedly exacerbated from being seen through a child’s eyes. As they had got older, heard stories of those with a similar ordeal, both had agreed never would they let someone fall into that situation if they could help it.

A situation presented to them, not asking, but demanding their help. He knew what they had to do. 

 

“These people are in need of our help,” He murmured, looking to Scott, “It’s our job to help those that need rescuing.”

 

Scott nodded, his face grave, “I know, but what more do these people want? Why demand two of us? Why an untracked jet?”

 

Jen shrugged, “I don’t know, but we can’t leave them Scott, and we can’t put them at risk…” She took a breath, “What if there’s children there?”

 

Virgil could see her point despite not being a father himself. Just the thought of the twins or Finn being in trouble set his heart racing, to not act and potentially put another parent, another aunt or uncle, through that pain…

 

“I know.” Scott sighed, shaking his head, “I know we have to do  _ something _ , but it’ll be dangerous, there’ll be a risk, we don’t know what they want and…”

“And Aunt Val won’t be happy.” John offered as Scott trailed off.

 

Silence fell across the room again, realisation finally falling that it wasn’t a case of their usual rescues. They were being demanded somewhere, without knowing what was wanted of them.

 

As if to prove a point, their Aunt’s line flashed up alongside John’s hologram.

 

All of them stared at the image, each of them knowing what to expect when they answered the call.

 

“Is anyone going to answer that?” Penelope asked as she waddled to Virgil’s elbow. 

 

“Colonel Casey,” Scott greeted, with a tight smile, “What can we do for you?”

 

Her gaze swept the room, measuring each of them briefly before she spoke, “I was just wanting to check in with you all, see how the workload was.”

 

Kayo stepped forward, raising her chin in defiance, “Nothing we can’t handle.”

 

Virgil caught how their Aunt’s eyes narrowed at their sister, regarding her silently for a long moment before nodding slightly, “I just wanted to ensure you weren’t planning anything outside of your jurisdiction.”

 

Scott nodded, “We know our limits Colonel.”

 

She snorted with a shake of her head, “And I know you boys. Don’t think I won’t be monitoring you closely over the next few days.”

 

“We assure you there’ll be nothing untoward, Colonel.” Virgil stated, the lie slipping out before he had really thought about it. 

 

When she looked to him, he had to suck in a breath, hoping that their Aunt didn’t know him too well to detect the lie. Standing firm, he waited for her challenge, expecting a firm instruction not to act in any way. 

Instead she nodded, lips pressed in a thin line as she sighed, “I hope you carry through on that promise.”

 

Nobody responded, but Virgil was quick to nod his confirmation. 

 

“Do your job,” She told them, “That’s all the world needs of you. The GDF will sort everything else.”

 

Her glare was a warning spread around the room, landing on Scott in particular as the eldest nodded, “We will Colonel Casey, don’t worry.”

 

She hummed thoughtfully, “You boys know I always worry.”

 

Like that the hologram was gone, the conversation ended as they all looked to each other. Alan’s eyes were wide again as he looked accusingly at Scott and Virgil, “We can’t just wait for the GDF!”

 

Virgil hesitated before looking to him, “We never said we were going to.”

 

Kayo nodded in agreement, “All we told Colonel Casey was that we would do our job, and be careful doing so.”

 

Alan sat straighter, “So we’re going?”

 

“ _ You _ are going nowhere.” Scott warned, “This isn’t just going to be a case of walk in there and give them what they want.”

 

“If they want us, they’ll have an ulterior motive,” Kayo agreed, “I’ll fly Shadow out and patrol as backup.”

 

Scott nodded, his jaw clenching, “You’ll leave us short handed though.”

 

“I’d rather that than leaving two of you to the hands of some psychos.” Kayo shrugged. 

 

“Your Grandmother and I can go over to the Mainland and stop with the children whilst they’re at school, Scott.” Penelope told him as she eased down next to Gordon, “That’ll leave you a three man crew--”

 

“Four.” John interrupted, “I can come down tonight and help where I can.”

 

Gordon sat straighter, glancing to Penelope before looking to Scott, “I’ll come--”

 

“ _ No _ ,” Scott refused again, “You can stop here and--”

 

“Oh would you listen to yourself?” Jen snapped cutting him off, “Scott you can’t make us  _ all _ stop here! The deal was for two of us to go. Hell knows you’re not going to let me come, despite what you know I’ve seen and done. Gordon is the next most practical option.”

 

Virgil found himself nodding in agreement, whilst he was sure it wasn’t a key part of being in the Air Force, Jen probably had more idea of how to deal with the situation than any of the rest of them. Scott undoubtedly would hate the reminder, but Gordon had been in the Cadets since he had been old enough to join and the only other brother trained with a gun. 

 

“But Pen--”

 

“Scott Carpenter,” Penelope growled, “do  _ not _ bring my pregnancy into this at all.”

 

Gordon was quiet, Virgil caught him looking down as he took his wife’s hand with a small shake of his head. 

 

“What is it Gordon?” He prompted in the silence that followed, “Nobody’s gonna make you go if you don’t want to.”

 

Gordon looked up, pursing his lips briefly as he looked to Penny with another shake of his head. He opened his mouth to speak, hesitating before the words made it out, “I-- I will go if nobody else wants to…”

 

“But?” Virgil prompted again. 

 

The look his younger brother gave Penny said everything before he even opened his mouth to add, “Pen, I wasn’t there when you had Finn and you know I’ve always regretted that,” He shook his head, hand reaching to the swell of her bump, “I don’t want to miss number two as well.”

 

Everyone else was looking at the couple, but Virgil’s eye caught the fall of Jen’s shoulders across the room from him. He could understand her worry. For all she loved and trusted Scott, she knew as well as he did how unpredictable the eldest brother could be. As rarely as it happened, when pushed together in work, Scott and Gordon’s military persona’s came out, neither older or younger, both equals in the field of experience. It was one of the few ways to get through to Scott in such a situation. 

He knew the next best option.

 

“I’ll go.”

 

All eyes were suddenly on him, but he was only watching Jen, noting how her eyes had lit up in brief hope as she pursed her lips. 

He looked to Scott with a shrug, “We don’t know what condition these hostages are going to be in, or what these guys want from us. If someone gets hurt, I’m trained EMT, it makes most sense.”

 

Scott’s eyes were hard as he looked at him, and he wasn’t sure if he was about to argue or not. Before he could, though, Kayo spoke up, “Strategically it makes most sense, if nothing else they’ll hopefully be imposed by Virgil’s physique.” She looked to him with a slight smile, “No offence.”

Shaking his head, he smiled back briefly, “None taken.”

 

“Alright,” Scott sighed, “I guess that’s what we have to do.” He looked up to John, “Reply to them, tell them we’re up for it and await further instruction.”

 

John nodded, “Once I’ve done that I’ll set Eos up to monitor and start heading down.”

 

“F.A.B.” Scott nodded in response before the hologram cut out, leaving the room feeling quiet and empty. 

 

Penny was the first to shift, reaching to Gordon as she stood, “How about you and I take the kids down to the beach for a bit?”

 

Jen was biting her thumb, but glanced up at the comment, “That would be great,”

 

A knowing look passed between the pair as Gordon stood to go and find the three kids, no doubt tucked away in the office playing. 

 

“Don’t be too long,” Scott stopped them, “remember they’ve got to get into a rout--”

 

“Routine for school,” Gordon waved his hand in dismissal, “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

 

Jen swallowed hard as she raised her chin looking to Scott. Virgil wasn’t certain it was tears he could see in her eyes, but something was giving them an unnatural shine. Scott went to her, wrapping her up in his arms as he pressed his face to her hair. 

 

“Upstairs?” Jen murmured, her eyes screwed shut. Scott simply nodded in response, and the two of them went.

 

He chose not to comment on how  _ he _ had been dragged away from Brains, and then left whilst the others went about their business. Not that he could blame them, he was equally free to go back to the lab and try to continue the conversation with Brains. 

He was sure he knew how well that would go.

 

“Wanna watch a film?” Alan asked, interrupting his thoughts. Virgil looked up with a slight shrug, maybe that was what he needed, something to stop him from overthinking the small details. 

 

“Yeah.” He sighed, frowning at how Kayo had vanished, “How about I go and grab the popcorn?”

 

Nodding his head, Virgil paused at the steps, wondering when it had changed from all their family stopping up to watch movies to just the two of them. 

 

Alan’s face brightened with a grin, “Yes! I’m going to find a decent film.”

 

Virgil laughed as he went, shaking his head to himself as he started down the stairs,  _ At least you never change, Allie _ . 


	3. Chapter 3

Scott pressed a gentle kiss to Jen’s hair as she sighed in contentment, still dozing against his chest. It was still early, the sun barely over the horizon and the twins still tucked up in their room. He closed his eyes again as she breathed in her scent, warm and sweet. Their argument from the night before was still buzzing in his head, snippets popping up as unwanted reminders. 

 

“You are right,” Jen murmured softly as she shifted against him, “We couldn’t both go.”

 

Shaking his head against hers, he sighed softly, “I  _ trust _ you to come with me, if the twins weren’t a thing, I’d perhaps consider--”

 

Her scoff cut him off as she pulled back to look at him, “Really? You really think you would ‘consider’ it?”

 

Her gaped for a moment, catching himself before the words simply tumbled out. Sitting up, he faced her properly, “Jen, I trust you to the ends of the world. All that time in the Air Force that we worked together, I don’t doubt that  _ we _ could do this. I can’t lie to you though, I’m  _ scared _ Jen, we don’t know what we’re going into here.”

 

As she shifted over to sit in his lap, he wrapped his arms around her, “I love you, I wish you could come, I’d be scared to death of something happening to you but I’d let you come. With the twins though, darling, I just can’t. Not after we lost Mom, not after we lost Dad, I’m scared of something happening to me out there, but I’d be more terrified of something happening to you.”

 

She sighed as she ran her hand through his hair, “Please be careful. I’m terrified of what’s going to happen out there.”

 

Leaning forward he pressed his forehead to hers, “I swear I’ll come home.”

 

Her eyes were screwed shut as she tilted her head to catch his lips, pulling back just enough to whisper, “Don’t make promises that are out of your control.”

 

He deepened the kiss, leaning back to give her the height advantage over him. The t-shirt she had worn to bed was loose and baggy, all the more inviting for him to slip his hand under and skim his fingers up her side. Her lips curved up against his, her fingers tightening in his hair, and nails grazing down his back. Taking the bottom of her t-shirt, he was about to tug it off when she pulled away with a groan.

Listening for a moment, he sighed too, the twins were awake and would no double be on their way to their room.

 

“I think,” He murmured, “We will have to continue this later.”

 

Jen sighed as she fell back against the pillows, “Why did we ever decide to ruin our peace?”

 

Scott chuckled softly, leaning back against his own pillows.

 

“I think,” He murmured back, hearing the noise of the twins in the hallway, “The decision was made for us.”

 

He had barely finished speaking when the pair launched onto the bed, effectively a barrier made to push him and Jen apart. 

 

“I see what you mean,” Jen laughed as she pulled Lucy over to her, hugging the little girl like a teddy bear.

 

“What?” Luke asked, looking between his parents. 

 

Scott ruffled his hair, smiling at the boy’s inquisitiveness, always wanting to know what he had missed in a conversation. 

 

“Nothing Son,” He told him, “Just talking to your Mom about you starting school.” 

 

“I don’t wanna go to school!” Lucy protested with a pout.

 

Scott sighed, rolling his eyes. He shifted to sit up in the bed, holding Luke in his lap as Jen ran her hand through Lucy’s hair.

 

“Sweetheart, you have to go to school. Even  _ I _ went to school,”

 

She frowned at him, “When?”

 

“A long time ago.”

 

He didn’t miss the smirk on Jen’s face at his answer, making a note to get her back later.

 

“Where?”

 

“In Kansas.”

 

“Why can’t we go to Kansas?”

 

Jen kissed her daughter’s hair, “Because it’s too far away baby.”

 

Luke looked up to Scott, frowning as he clutched onto his father’s arm, “Why can’t you  _ both _ come?”

 

“Because one of us has to be here to pilot the ship.”

 

Lucy shook her head, “Uncle Allie can pilot Daddy’s ship.”

 

“And what if Uncle Alan is needed to pilot his ship?” Jen raised an eyebrow, “He can’t do both at once.”

 

Scott reached out for Lucy, drawing her in so he could hug both of the twins, “It’s only for three days,” He murmured to them, “Then you’ll be back here for the weekend.”

 

Lucy was still pouting, “We want  _ you _ to come though Daddy!”

 

He sighed as he rested his head against both of theirs, “I know, and I want to come too.”

 

“Then do!” Luke exclaimed. 

 

He pulled back, looking to both of them, “What if someone needs my help?”

 

Both their faces fell as Scott pulled them close again, “I  _ promise _ I’ll call as much as I can, okay? And then on Friday night when you get back, we’ll get all the junk food and watch whatever movie you guys want. How does that sound?”

 

Neither looked convinced, but they seemed to accept it as they reached up to hug him back tightly. 

 

“I love you both,” He sighed when they pulled away, “And I promise I’ll come with you the second week.”

 

“Love you too.” Both murmured back. 

 

“Come on,” Jen sighed, pushing the duvet back, “How about breakfast, and then we can go and play in the pool?”

 

Scott smiled as the pair jumped off of the bed and ran to their kitchen, both exclaiming in excitement as they went. 

 

“If I get back sooner, I’ll come,”

 

Jen smiled as she pulled on her bathrobe, “I know you will, but you’ve got to save those people first. That’s your job.”

 

He grabbed his t-shirt from the floor, remembering when his own father had put work before his family, “That doesn’t make it okay.”

 

Jen sighed as she stepped around the bed, “Scott, in ten years they won’t remember their first day of school. They’ll understand as they get older that we can’t just take a day off.”

 

He hugged her back as she wrapped her arms around his neck, “I’m not worried about in ten years, I’m worried about  _ now _ .”

 

“Scott,” Virgil hailed over the comm, “You free?”

 

He sighed and rolled his eyes, “Depends what for?”

 

“I’ve had a thought.”

 

Scott pulled away from Jen as she let go. He kissed her cheek briefly as she sighed, a silent apology that didn’t ease his guilt. 

 

“I’m on my way.”


	4. Chapter 4

“You’re up early… for you.” Scott commented as he joined Virgil in the infirmary. He was already clattering about, collecting trays and equipment.

 

“Couldn’t sleep.”

 

He raised an eyebrow as he leant on one of the beds, “That’s not like you,”

 

He knew what his brother meant when he shrugged and stated, “A lot on my mind.”

 

Scott was surprised, though he didn’t show it. He hadn’t intended to plant a seed with their conversation the previous evening. It seemed something had begun to sprout after the discussion though, and he wasn’t sure if he was glad of it or not. 

 

“What got you thinking?” Scott asked softly, “You said you’d had a thought?”

 

Virgil nodded, “Jen asked me the other day, my thoughts on you giving the twins implants,”

 

Scott couldn’t help but groan, it was an argument they’d been having for weeks. It wasn’t that he couldn’t see her point, as a teenager he had constantly been aware of the tracker he had on him at all times. Their father had always told them that it wouldn’t be activated unless there had ever been a need for it, yet he had always felt like he had been being watched through it. 

As he had gotten older he’d come to appreciate it though, they were after all, sons of a billionaire and with wealth and recognition came danger. 

Even more so as part of International Rescue.

 

“They’re  _ your _ kids Scott,” Virgil continued, probably having seen the thoughtful look on his face, “you hold all the wealth of Tracy Industries, and the access codes for IR.”

 

He nodded with a shrug, “That’s just what I’ve been saying to Jen.” Looking up he raised an eyebrow, “What would you do? If they were your…”

 

Virgil shook his head straight away, catching himself as he did, the words that followed slipping out before he had really thought about them, “Not that I’m likely to need to worry about that,”

 

“Bull.” Scott spat, his face screwing up with the word, “You adore kids,”

 

Virgil shrugged, avoiding looking to Scott as he placed the items he had collected on one of the trolleys. 

 

“Just because I adore them doesn’t mean I want my own.” He looked back to him, nodding to the tray of equipment, one topic obviously closed off as he asked, “If they don’t want a jet traced, what do you bet they’ll check us?”

 

“Highly likely,” John announced as he stepped through the door, tablet in hand, “Eos managed to get into their comm systems, they’re going to check you and the plane as soon as you’re landed.”

 

Scott nodded, “They’re not messing about.”

 

“Not at all.” John agreed, “We’ve all got implants, you’ll have to remove yours.”

 

“Bed.” Virgil commanded as he began to organise the tray.

 

“It’s in my arm,” Scott murmured as he hopped up onto the bed, pulling the pillow to rest his outstretched arm on. 

He watched Virgil organise the tray before placing it on the trolley to drag over.. 

 

“Suppose it doesn’t matter so much now that we know where they are,” John muttered, pulling a stool over for Virgil as he picked up the primed needle and syringe.

 

Virgil looked up as he sat down, “Do you know where  _ exactly _ ?”

 

He pinched the skin where the small lump of the implant was, holding it out for a second as Virgil jabbed him. Pulling a face at the scratch, he took the alcohol wipe given to him and used it to wipe over the skin.

 

He waited until Virgil was scrubbing his hands with the alcohol gel before he answered John’s earlier thoughts, “Dad worried if something happened to us as kids, they’d try and take them out.”

 

Virgil paused in his scrubbing, not turning back to them as John picked up the packet of gloves to peel open, “He really did think of everything, didn’t he?”

 

Scott shrugged, “I dunno, Mom and Grandma probably helped.”

 

Virgil sighed as he took the sterile gloves, pulling a face as he set them down on the trolley to unwrap them, “You know how much I hate putting these gloves on?”

 

He didn’t need to look to know Scott was grinning when he replied, “I’ll make it up to you when we get back.”

 

John snorted, “He’ll hold you to that.”

 

Scott smiled as Virgil turned to him, taking the blade he had set out, “How about another week off, where you and Brains actually go away?”

 

He hoped it was all the couple would need, a proper break, away from the rest of the family and their duty. It seemed wrong for them to be so distant, and Scott knew it had to be bad for him to notice. Whilst he had never understood how people could love so quietly, and he had been slow at first to pick up on the signs, he’d come to recognise the little things. 

How Brains would pick the seat closer to the piano when Virgil wasn’t about. How Virgil would wordlessly clean the engineers spare glasses when he wasn’t looking. How they’d both come to make up each other’s plates at the dinner table. 

Where they had once seemed natural and romantic, even Scott had seen how they had become either a habit or forced. 

 

“I’m not sure.” Virgil eventually responded, and Scott knew he meant more than just about another holiday. 

 

“Anything you want to talk about?” John murmured, pursing his lips as he caught Scott’s eye over Virgil’s shoulder. 

 

His shake of the head was slight, but noticeable as he murmured, “Not whilst I’m cutting a hole in your arm.”

 

Scott pursed his lips, “Okay.”

 

When Virgil swapped the scalpel for the forceps he sighed, “I just don’t know what’s happened between us.”

 

John’s head tilted, “Did you fight?”

 

Virgil’s look was dead, his mouth straight and his eyes empty as he looked to Scott, “You might not have noticed, but Brains doesn’t exactly come across as the argumentative type.”

 

He set the forceps down on the trolley with the implant, pulling off his gloves as he stood, “You’ll want to bandage that.”

 

Scott put pressure on his arm as John took the plaster to cover the wound, watching from the corner of his eye as Virgil kicked off his jeans and hopped up onto the second bed, crossing his legs as he did. 

 

“Don’t you--” He started.

 

Virgil looked up, scoffing as he shook his head, “Mines in my leg, and even if it were somewhere I couldn’t reach I wouldn’t be nominating  _ you _ to come near it.”

 

“Leave it.” John sighed as he smoothed down the edge of the plaster. 

 

Scott swallowed as he looked over to Virgil, hoping that he hadn’t put too many thoughts in his brother’s head at the wrong time. 


	5. Chapter 5

The villa was quiet, Scott down in the hangars saying his final goodbyes to Jen and the twins before they flew out with Grandma to the mainland. Alan and John were still in bed after a night of stargazing, Kayo would no doubt be up to her own thing somewhere about. 

He didn’t expect to stumble on Gordon lying across the hallway, his arms were stretched above his head, tense as his hands balled in fists. 

 

Virgil paused, folding his arms as he looked over him, “You alright there?”

 

“Just…” Gordon groaned, “...Stretching out.”

 

Virgil watched him as he relaxed again, muscles slackening off as his face stayed twisted, “Good job you’re not the one going with Scott,”

 

Gordon snorted, “I’m fine, just seized up when I finally stopped last night.”

 

He opened his eyes after a moment, raising one hand up in a silent request for help. Virgil took his hand, tugging just enough to help him to his feet. 

 

“Besides...” Gordon sighed, wincing as he stood upright. Virgil caught his arm and steadied him before he ended up back on the floor. 

 

“...Pen would probably murder me if I left her to have this one on her own too.”

 

They both had to laugh, each knowing that Gordon would never live down the fact he had entirely missed his first son’s birth.  

 

“You’ve really surprised us, you know?” Virgil murmured as they made their way slowly downstairs, thinking back to how Gordon had dealt with becoming a father. 

Gordon was grinning as he shifted his weight to start down the stairs, “You guys always seem surprised when I do ... pretty much anything.”

 

Virgil knew he didn’t mean it, that it was just Gordon teasing back. There was still a surge of guilt though. He was right, why should they tease him over everyday stuff? They all knew Gordon was just as capable as the rest of them. 

 

“Hey,” Gordon murmured, his elbow nudging into Virgil’s side, “I was joking.”

 

Virgil nodded, smiling slightly, “I know, I just meant, you’re a good dad.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

Virgil knew that tone, slightly softer and quieter than was normal for Gordon. 

 

“Sometimes it’s hard y’know? I mean sure, Grandma and Scott are great at what  _ to _ do and what  _ not _ to do,” He paused, hesitating in his step as he sighed, “They’re not Mom or Dad though.”

 

Virgil stayed silent, knowing Scott had once had the same thoughts when the twins had been born. He heard Gordon sniff quietly as they walked, “Do you think they’d be proud?”

 

“They were always proud of us,” He looked to his most mischievous brother, “Even when they pretended not to be.”

 

Gordon huffed, rolling his eyes, “Thanks.”

 

Virgil knew what answer Gordon was after, and he knew he couldn’t withhold the truth from him. It simply wouldn’t have been fair to do so. He waited for a moment, letting them reach the bottom of the stairs before he spoke. 

 

“They would have loved having grandkids, especially Lucy. I think we all know that she would have been the secret favourite.” 

 

Gordon paused again at the entrance out to the pool, they’d gone further down than the kitchen, avoiding the extra steps and the rest of the family in the process.

“I miss them.”

 

“We always will.” Virgil agreed quietly, knowing that their reasons may have been slightly different. 

 

His mother had never been there with his troubles of the heart, but he had heard her give Scott enough guidance through the early years of high school that he knew what she would have to say to him. Cruel to be kind, she had so often told Scott -- don’t drag things out longer than necessary. 

He knew he needed to do the same, to have  _ that _ conversation with Brains and determine where to go from there. 

_ Dad would have said to pull your finger out and get on with it _ . He thought to himself, shaking his head a moment later,  _ No he wouldn’t. He was always as good as Mom at this stuff. _

 

A splash of water caught his legs, Gordon had made his own way into the pool and was floating on his back, “You coming in?”

 

Virgil shook his head, “Sorry, was miles away.”

 

He sighed as he pulled off his shirt, knowing he was on his own where his problems were concerned. 

*

 

Virgil sighed as he raised his hand to the door. He knew it had to be then, he couldn’t put off the conversation any longer unless he wanted to be distracted on the mission. 

 

Gordon called up the hallway, “Hey Virg--” 

 

“Not now Gordon.” He snapped as Brains answered the door.

 

Stepping into the room, he closed the door firmly behind him, “Can we talk?”

 

Brains had already turned back to his desk, clearing a pile of papers and books, “I thought y-you’d be g-getting ready to g--go,”

 

Virgil shrugged, folding his arms as he leant against the wall, “Consider this part of my getting ready.”

 

“What’s the p-problem?”

 

Virgil shrugged, waiting for him to look back to him before he spoke, “I was hoping you’d tell me?”

 

He blinked, pushing his glasses up his nose as he frowned, “W-wh-”

 

Virgil sighed pushing off the wall, “You’ve been off with me since we were meant to go away, and I’ve apologised, and promised to make it up to you, but you still--”

 

He saw Brains prickle at his interruption, and knew he’d tripped up. It wasn’t fair of him to interrupt him mid sentence, mid stutter.

 

“It was m-meant to be  _ our _ b-break.” He stated, his voice hardening with each stuttered word. 

 

Virgil knew that had bothered him, but his family had been dragged away for a rescue. It had seemed wrong to leave right when they might have needed him,  “I could hardly leave the kids on their own with Penny and Grandma,”

 

Brains nodded, folding his own arms as he raised his chin, “I d-don’t d-doubt that they c-could have m-managed.”

 

He turned back to the desk his had been tidying, shuffling around some more papers and books as he muttered,“I always thought you w-were the one that was g-good at separating home from w-work.”

 

Virgil snorted, folding his arms as he glanced to the door, “That’s easier said than done here.” 

 

Family and work were too intertwined for any of them to fully separate. They went into danger zones too regularly for him to not worry that one day their luck would run out. To leave for a holiday or rest and relaxation as they left for another danger zone seemed wrong in his head. 

 

“They’re my brothers Brains, what if one of them was hurt? Or worse?”

 

Brains turned back to him, shrugging as he pushed his glasses up his nose, “We could have flown back.”

 

“That would have taken  _ time _ .”

 

_ And how petulant do you sound?  _ Virgil thought to himself as soon as the words were out there. 

 

“Hey Virg, I’m ready to go when you are,” Scott’s hologram interrupted them. 

 

Virgil looked down to his wrist, looking back to Brains as he nodded slightly, “I’ll be down in a minute, Scott.”

 

He watched Brains turn away, grabbing a pile of papers in his fist and throwing them to the bin. 

“You should g-go,” He muttered, “C-can’t be late for your m-mission.”

 

His shoulders fell as he opened his mouth to respond, trying to think of some way to make everything right, “I’ll miss you whilst I’m gone,”

 

He waited a long moment for a response, only to be met with silence. Shaking his head, he turned to the door, “I’ll see you when I get back.”


	6. Chapter 6

 

Scott looked up as Virgil joined him in the cockpit of Tracy Two. Gordon had already told him that their middle brother had been talking to Brains when he had interrupted. They were on a schedule though, and people needed their help. 

When Virgil sat down with a loud huff, Scott raised an eyebrow, “You alright?”

 

“Nope.”

 

He’d expected an honest response, out of all of them Virgil was probably the only one willing to admit when things weren’t okay. 

Scott could tell by the look of thunder on his face that things were far from okay.

 

“Want to talk about it?” He offered after a moment, not quite being used to being the one on the questioning side of that particular conversation. 

As he waited for a response, he saw the change of his features, shifting from anger to something more focussed. Scott knew the shift well, it was one of the first things his father had told him on a rescue -- Leave home problems at home and focus on the job at hand. 

 

“Nope.” Virgil repeated quietly. 

 

Scott turned in his seat, readying his instruments as he waited for John’s command. He thought back to all the times their roles had been reversed and Virgil had been the one trying to coax him to talk. 

 

“If it were me you’d be trying to persuade me to talk.” He murmured, not turning to look at Virgil. 

There was a quiet sigh, not quite annoyance, but close. Scott knew not to push, the last thing he wanted was to fall out on their way to the mission. He had hoped Virgil would give him something to go on. He had perhaps expected him to offer up a morsel of helpful information rather than simply stay silent. 

 

It was John who eventually broke the silence, clearing them for take off and wishing them a safe journey. Even then Virgil didn’t speak. Not that John noticed, even with Scott’s obvious comments and sideways glances nothing could bring Virgil into the conversation. 

 

“Seriously,” Scott started as John signed off, “You just completely ignored John for a whole five minutes?”

 

Virgil shrugged, “Didn’t have anything to say.”

 

“Gordon said you’d gone to talk to Brains.” Scott stated, leaving the fact hanging in the air. He knew it was a harsh tactic, but he needed him focussed on their mission. 

 

It took a long moment, a hard frown from Virgil, and a raised eyebrow from Scott before he finally gave in and answered, “Turns out Brains isn’t as fine with my work-life balance as I thought.”

 

Scott frowned, “What? But you’ve always--”

 

“I know!” Virgil snapped before sighing, leaning back to rub at his face, “I just don’t get why it’s suddenly an issue now when it hasn’t been before,”

 

“Has anything else changed?”

 

Virgil shook his head at his older brother, “Not that I’ve been able to think of.”

 

Scott sighed, looking to Virgil seriously for a moment, “Are you going to be okay for this? You know you’re going to need to focus?”

 

Virgil nodded, “I’ll put it out my head when we get there, mission first.”

 

Scott nodded in agreement, looking back to his controls, “If you have any doubts--”

 

“I’ll say,” Virgil murmured, “I promise Scott.”

 

Satisfied, Scott looked to the comm, reaching to start a new call, “How are we looking Kayo?”

 

“As we saw on the scans,” She responded without missing a beat, “It’s a disused landing strip. I can see a hangar, but it’s a wreck, no way there’ll be hostages in there.”

 

Virgil sat straighter, “Any life signs?”

 

“So they’re either going to bring the hostages to us,” Scott started, “Which I seriously doubt.”

 

Kayo nodded in agreement, “I doubt you’ll be stopping there once you land tomorrow and everywhere around is thick trees, I’ll be working off of your heat signatures.”

 

Scott sighed reluctantly, “It’s not ideal but we don’t have much other option.”

 

“It’s not too late to call it off,” She murmured, “We can give it to the GDF.”

 

Virgil shook his head, “That’s too much of a risk.”

 

“If they’re as serious as they sound,” Scott nodded in agreement, “They’ll carry through on the threat.”

 

“Our aim is to help them,” Virgil glanced from his brother to Kayo, “we have to do what we can.”

 

Kayo sighed, “Don’t do it at cost to the pair of you.”

 

“We’ll see how it goes,” Scott shrugged, “We’ll call once we’re at the hotel and checked in.”

 

“F.A.B.” Kayo nodded before cutting off the comm.

 

***

It was the thundering of footsteps on the stairs that drew Jen’s attention away from the packed lunches she had been preparing for the following day. The twins had been suitably exhausted after their first day at school and had actually complied when she had taken them up to bed. 

 

She should have known that it was too good to be actually true. 

 

“Mommy, Mommy!” They both called as they ran through the lounge to the kitchen, “Look, Daddy’s on the phone!” 

 

Setting the butter knife down, Jen smiled as she crouched to meet the pair, “Is he now?”

 

Scott had the decency to look guilty across the holocomm despite his smirk, “Hi love,”

 

“Where are you?” She asked, guiding the kids to the sofa, taking a moment for the conversation to go over their heads. 

 

He hesitated, pursing his lips as he glanced away from the comm before looking back, “Australia, is all I can say.”

 

Jen nodded, accepting not to push or question. Just a few more days and he would be there with her, filling the house like a normal family. 

 

“Daddy!” Lucy demanded, “We did drawing at school! Momma, show Daddy our pictures!”

 

Wrapping her arms around both of them Jen shook her head, “Just a couple more days and then you can show Daddy when he’s here!”

 

“Yeah!” Luke exclaimed, “You are still comin’ aren’t you Daddy?”

 

Scott nodded, “I’ll be at the school gate on Friday night.”

 

“Whatcha doin’ Daddy?” Lucy asked, reaching to the comm for a better view, “You’re not at home.”

 

Jen kissed her hair, smiling across the comm to Scott waiting to hear his response. 

 

“I’m off helping people that are in a bit of trouble sweetie,” He told them, “I’ll tell you all about it when I see you.”

 

Luke reached for the comm too, tugging it from his sister. Jen reached between them, taking the comm and resting it on her knee to stop any fights before they started. 

 

“Did you take a F-underbird, Dad?”

 

Scott snorted with a smile, “I don’t need one for this job, son, just me and your Uncle Virgil.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Now,” Scott started, well practiced in the art of steering a conversation, “What are your teachers like?”

 

Both twins tried to talk over one another, each having their own opinion of their class. Jen let them talk, hoping the excitement would soon wear them down enough to send back to bed. She watched Scott as he interacted with them, so at ease and relaxed despite the upcoming mission. Yet, she couldn’t help but feel that something was off.   

 

“Well,” Scott was saying as she focused on the conversation, “You kids best get to bed, otherwise you won’t have the energy to hear all my stories when I’m home.”

 

“Yeah we will!” Luke grinned, “We’ve got all the energy Dad, Momma said so!”

 

Jen chuckled as Scott laughed, shaking his head, “If you don’t get to bed now, you’ll have to have an early night tomorrow!” 

 

He knew just how to play the pair of them, she watched as both jumped off of the sofa, running towards their bedroom, calling their goodnights as they went. 

 

Finally alone, Scott looked to her, “You’re quiet.”

 

“Tired,” She murmured, “There’s a lot to do being a housewife, don’t you know?”

 

Scott laughed softly, “More tiring than being an IR operative?”

 

Raising an eyebrow she nodded, “With those two to look after, undoubtedly.”

 

“I promise,” He murmured, “I’ll be straight there as soon as we’re done.”

 

That same feeling twisted in her stomach as she reached up towards the hologram, wishing she could reach through and actually touch him, “Just be careful, I don’t mind if you’re late, just stay safe.”

 

He nodded, his hand reaching up to meet hers, “I will, promise.”

 

She knew his promise was genuine, but also knew that some things were out of his control. There was nothing that could be done about that though, all she could do was trust him and his instinct, and hope that all would be well.

 

“Go and sleep,” She murmured, “You’ll have to be up early I imagine.”

 

Before he answered, she knew what he would say. He always complained of the same when she wasn’t with him, that he slept better, yet getting to sleep was near impossible. 

 

“Will you stay on?”

 

Jen laughed gently, “You know I will.”

 

She settled back into the cushions of the sofa, smiling as she watched his hologram shift. 

 

“Mommy?” A call came from the twins’ room, “Will you come and read us a story?”

 

“Right after I’ve put the twins to bed.”


	7. Chapter 7

Virgil swallowed as he checked the instruments of the jet, “You ready for this?”

 

Scott snorted, “Is that some sort of joke? No comms, most basic of basic instruments, and blind as to what we’re flying into? Yeah, it’s my absolute dream.”

 

“Sarcasm really suits you.” Virgil muttered with a smirk, “At least Kay’s got eyes on us.”

 

He glanced over as Scott shook his head, knowing just what his older brother meant. They would have both preferred to be anywhere else, though neither would be doing anything else in that moment. It was their job, what they lived for, to help others. It was what they did, and whilst it may have been draining and thankless, the world forever needing something more from them, none of them would have preferred to be doing anything else. 

 

“I’d rather be home,” Scott sighed, “I don’t like this at all,”

 

“Saving lives is what we do,” He shrugged looking to his older brother, “Would you have really turned them away?”

 

Scott was caught by his question. Virgil knew he was right, Scott wouldn’t turn away anyone in need. 

 

“There’s the landing strip,” Scott responded nodding forward, “Activating VOTL, let’s get this over and done with.”

 

Virgil didn’t argue as he turned to his own controls in preparation for landing. 

 

***

He let Scott take the lead as they stepped down the ramp of the carrier, he knew what he was doing, he was the one that had had the Air Force training before their introduction to IR. It was only appropriate for him to take the lead. 

 

Across from them was the rundown hangar Kayo had told them about. At first glance he could see what she had meant about it being unsafe, yet those that had sent them the message obviously had faith it wasn’t about to fall down on them as they stepped out from the shadows prompting Scott to raise his hands in surrender. He followed suit as a group of four stepped out, guns ready trained on them both. 

 

“Step three yards off the ramp,” Their leader called across the space. 

 

Scott nodded and began to step forward, he followed half a step behind. 

 

“We are the two IR operatives requested, you can check, we have no devices on us, nothing additional on the ship aside from a couple of med packs,”

 

The leader nodded, “In that case you won’t mind stripping down for us?” 

 

Virgil winced, there was a chill and a bite in the air that he didn’t fancy feeling against any more of his skin than necessary. 

Scott had taken the lead though and was already pulling off his boots, reluctantly he followed suit. Watching the four men as two were sent forward, stalking past both of them and into the ship. Looking back to Scott, he met his brothers eye, questioning what they would want to check for. 

 

Tucking his socks into his boots, he swallowed as he straightened. Any other day he might not have minded the feel of the cold, damp grass between his toes, but in that moment he felt vulnerable. He shrugged off his fleece lined denim jacket, instantly feeling the chill through his sweater even before he tugged it over his head and threw it to the floor. As he went to unbutton his shirt, a set of thuds made him pause, the med packs thrown out on either side of he and Scott. 

He looked to his older brother again, accepting the slight nod of reassurance as Scott tugged at the belt of his cargo trousers. 

 

Tugging his last layer, a vest, over his head, Virgil had to wince as his skin recoiled against the extreme cold, unused to what had to be the exact opposite of the island’s climate. Resisting the urge to rub his arms for warmth, he went to his own trousers, pushing them down quickly with the idea of lessening the shock of the chill. 

 

“And the rest.” The leader called, not a moment after he had kicked his jeans from his ankles. 

 

He heard Scott’s huff, could see how his jaw clenched with the slightest shake of his head, “We aren’t hiding anything.”

 

“Then you won’t have an issue with removing your underwear.”

 

With matching glares, both complied, raising their arms once they were done.

 

“Happy?” Scott called, “We came to discuss terms, not to fight with you.”

 

The leader smiled, “Leave your clothes, bring your med packs.”

 

Each took a rucksack and hoisted it onto their backs, sharing a concerned glance as they headed into the hangar. 

 

***

“Dammit,” She uttered to herself, circling the runway again, “I’ve lost visual, they’ve gone into the hangar.”

 

John sighed loudly across the line, “Stay put Kayo, they might come out yet.”

 

“They have to,” She shook her head, “Scans show there’s no other way out of there.”

 

Five minutes, that would be what she would give before moving in. Their life signs were still reading on her display, clear and present within the derelict hangar. 

 

“I want to know what’s going on.” She muttered, glaring at the building as she guided Shadow around again, “Why here? What’s their plan?”

 

“I wish we knew,” John agreed, “Eos hasn’t been able to get back into their comms again, they’ve got some sophisticated tech.”

 

Sitting straighter she frowned, “That’s what worries me.”

 

There was movement in the treeline, drawing her attention away from the hangar, “Two motorcycles approaching from south west, not on radar, visual only.”

 

“What’s interfering?” John asked. 

 

She shrugged, “I don’t know, you just said they must have some good tech, maybe they’ve got jammers?”

 

Watching the pair, she frowned, each stepping off of their bikes with ease to collect up the clothes Scott and Virgil had left in two scattered piles. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she knew she couldn’t act. One false move and it wouldn’t just be the lives of eight people they would lose, but those of her brothers too. 

Sometimes she hated her job. 

 

“They’re taking their clothes,” She informed John, “What are they up to?”

 

The sound of unease in John’s voice wound her tighter, “Check your signals Kayo, I don’t know if it’s just me but I’m losing the life signs of all six of them.”

 

She cursed loudly, already reaching for her controls to land. 

 

“ _ Don’t _ ,” John snapped, “It could be a trap to make sure they’re not being followed.”

 

“And if it’s not?” She snapped back. 

 

“We just have to trust them,” John swallowed, “Kayo, we can’t risk it.”

 

He was right. She hated it that John was always right. 

 

Sighing she shook her head, her attention drawn again to the pair of motorcyclists as they rode off back into the forest. Part of her said she should follow, but she knew there was too much danger of them being a simple way to distract from her main target. 

Looking back to the hangar she pursed her lips, “Four minutes and I’m going down.”

 

“In that case you can help me with this,” John muttered, “I’ve got Casey on the line.”

  
  



	8. Chapter 8

Kayo hadn’t said anything about a tunnel. As far as he was aware, she probably hadn’t even known about it. It was his own fault, he should have thought of the possibility of alternative routes away from the landing strip. 

He could at least be grateful that the end of the tunnel they had entered through was still open, even if it wasn’t obvious beneath the rocky debris of the hangar. 

 

“Sir,” One of the guards from behind him called ahead, “I’m detecting a life sign within the hangar, not one of our own.”

 

The leader paused, nodding slightly before looking directly at him, “I hope you boys can run.”

 

He glanced back to Virgil, both knowing they were  _ capable _ of running, but unwilling to in bare feet across the stony floor. 

 

“Setting detonator to ninety seconds.”

 

Virgil’s eyes widened in the darkness and neither of them needed telling twice as the leader began to sprint ahead of them. He turned to follow, only pausing to nudge Virgil ahead of him as they ran. 

 

Twice he stumbled but kept his footing, Virgil was struggling more, his size and weight impacting his feet harder against the stones. Still he kept his brother going, catching his arm where he could to keep him upright. Instinct had taken over, forcing him to get as far away from the incoming blast as he could before it hit. 

 

“Down!” 

 

As if back in the Air Force, he obeyed the command, his arm going to Virgil’s back, ensuring he was suitably covered as they felt the force from the blast. 

Virgil looked to him, eyes still wide in the dark as he whispered, “Kayo?”

 

Pressing his lips in a firm line, he nodded slightly. In all likelihood, she had gone looking for them, probably hoping to be able to follow. 

It left them both hoping that she had gotten out safely. 

 

Before either could dwell on the thought, there was a command of “up”, and each was being hoisted upright by the straps on their medpacks. 

 

“Alright!” Scott groused, shrugging off the person manhandling him, “I’m up.”

 

He looked to Virgil, wincing as he caught the dark trails down his arms and chest, hoping it was mud rather than anything else. 

 

“Keep coming.” The leader commanded as he set off again, “Not to worry, there isn’t far now.”

 

Virgil was first to oblige, following the demand without question. Scott glared for a moment before following, feeling cold and dirty even only after a few minutes. He understood the purpose, their aim to throw him and Virgil off first through embarrassment, and then through the cuts and grazes they had no doubt ended up with on their feet. 

What they had failed to realise was that they were a family of men, and a group that had been brought up not to be ashamed or embarrassed about their bodies. As for the aching feet, Scott was sure they had both experienced much worse. 

 

After a few more minutes of walking, the leader stopped and turned to them, pointing to a ladder in the side of a tunnel, “No funny business, or someone gets shot.”

 

Scott nodded glancing to the ladder as he started up it, Virgil stepped up next to him, “How far do you think we’ve come?” 

 

He shrugged, glancing back the way they had come, “Two kilometers? Maybe two and a half?”

 

Everywhere around the landing strip they had arrived at had been forrest. Civilisation was hours away by car, let alone on foot. He wasn’t sure where they had been lead to. 

 

Looking up at the noise of a metal grid, he frowned and then winced at the sudden stream of daylight shining down onto them. Instinct made him take a step back, shielding his eyes. The cold metal of a gun against his back made him turn and glare. 

 

“You next.” The guard growled, gesturing to the ladder with his gun. 

 

“Alright,” He sighed turning to the ladder and starting his accent. 

 

As he reached the top, two hands reached out to grab him, pulling him up the last few steps to solid ground. Yet neither let go as his feet landed, once again manhandling him towards a waiting open backed Jeep. He struggled up against their hold, only to be pushed down into a seat. In the corner of his eye he could see Virgil receiving the same treatment, and in the light of day he had to wince at the blend of mud and blood covering him, cuts and grazes littered his torso and legs. 

He didn’t dare look down to see how bad his own body looked. 

 

“It would be appreciated,” He started, glowering at the leader, “If you could get on with what you brought us here to do.”

 

The man smiled, nodding in agreement, “Just a little further, then we’re going to make a few phone calls.”

 

Virgil huffed as he sat down opposite Scott, also glaring up at the leader. 

 

“They won’t appreciate any funny business.”

 

The leader snorted with a laugh, “I don’t think you’ll find anything about this funny gentlemen.”

 

Scott had to resist the urge to swallow, vulnerability starting to seep in with the cold. He didn’t like it. He didn’t like it at all.

 

***

Her ears were still ringing as she screwed her eyes shut and brought a hand up to her helmet. She could already feel bruises coming on from where she had landed after the blast, but she could see she was in one piece. 

 

“Kayo!” John snapped, “Come in.”

 

“I’m here.” She groaned as she sat up, looking to what little remained of the hangar down the runway, “I’m okay.”

 

“I’ve been calling you for two minutes.”

 

She clipped off her helmet, rubbing her eyes before leaning forward to rest her head against her knees, “The blast caught me.”

 

“You’re not flying home.” John warned, “Not if you were out for two minutes.”

 

She looked up towards the tree line, “I’m not flying anywhere, I need to find Scott and Virgil.”

 

“You  _ will _ go home Kayo,” Colonel Casey cut in, “Leave this to the GDF as you were meant to in the first place.”

 

Kayo stood, reaching to the fuselage of her ship to help her, “It’s our job to save lives Colonel, that’s all we were doing.”

 

“And what now?” Casey challenged, “Now that the rescuers need rescuing?”

 

“We planned for several eventualities!” Kayo snapped, “We expected this to go smoothly and had contingencies in place for--”

 

“But you  _ didn’t _ !” Casey snapped back, “And now two of your operatives are out there in the hands of terrorists Kayo. Who knows what they’re planning to do with them? What they want out of them? You always said how disastrous it would be if IR’s equipment got into the wrong hands, what if that’s what these people want?”

 

Kayo opened her mouth to argue back, to fight Scott and Virgil’s corner. The boys were better than that, the Colonel should have had more faith in them both. No matter what happened, they all knew the agreement, nothing would be handed over, no exchange would be made. 

 

Before she could speak though, John beat her to it, “Aunt Val, we’re scared too.”

 

Her face fell. Of course, it wasn’t the Colonel yelling out of anger at them. She was their aunt too, and probably more afraid of what there was to lose than any of them were. Aunt Val had already gone through the loss of Lucy and then Jeff, it shouldn’t have surprised Kayo that she’d be afraid of losing any of the boys too. 

 

“We’ll find them,” John murmured, “and they’ll be okay. Scott and Virgil are strong, they’ve got plenty of experience between them. I don’t doubt we’ll hear something from them soon, and when we do, the GDF will have our back up to save  _ all _ those involved.”

 

Sinking down in her pilot’s seat, Kayo sighed heavily, “I’m sorry for snapping Colonel.”

 

“No, Kayo,” Casey sighed, “I should have trusted you to know what you were doing, but you should have consulted me first.”

 

“We imagined you would have said no, Colonel.” John responded, the traces of a smirk clear in his voice. 

 

Her snort was soft, but there, “Probably so John, but only for your safety. I should have expected you to get involved anyway.”

 

“I promise we won’t go ahead without approval going forward,” Kayo murmured, “Well, to a degree.”

 

“All we can do for the moment is wait.” Casey sighed, “And hope that we hear something soon from whoever these people are.”

 

“I’ll remote pilot you back Kayo,” John told her, “There’s no point you hanging around there if they’re obviously gone.”

 

“I will let you know as soon as I hear anything.” Casey offered. 

 

Kayo didn’t need to consider her response, “Likewise, Colonel.”

 

“And get yourself checked out Kayo, you know what damage blasts can do.”

 

“F.A.B. Aunt Val.” She smiled, pulling the hood of her ship down, “Take her away John.”


	9. Chapter 9

She knew the windows downstairs were open before she even reached the kitchen, the draught carried the sound of crickets up to the lounge. It didn’t surprise her that one of the others might have been unsettled by the day’s events and taking some fresh air before bed. That was the reason she was still up herself, mind reeling from how she had failed.

Of course, the others had insisted otherwise. Their scans hadn’t picked up on the tunnels below the hangar, apparently she couldn’t have known. It should have been obvious though, when there had been no other signs or obvious escapes. If she had just thought harder, perhaps she would have realised, and Scott and Virgil wouldn’t have been simply gone.

 

Pulling her kimono tighter, she glanced around the corner at the bottom of the stairs, frowning at the figure reclined back staring up at the stars. She hesitated at the window, watching as he pulled his glasses off to wipe them on the flannel of his pyjama top. Gordon had said he’d seen Virgil going to speak to his partner before he had left, the he had been given the impression that the discussion hadn’t ended on a good parting note. 

 

“You’re up late.” She murmured as she approached the lounger, sinking down on the one closer to her. Before she could prompt a response he dropped his glasses into his lap and looked back up to the stars.

 

“Am I a b-bad p-person?”

 

Of everything, she hadn’t ever expected that question. 

 

“What?” She shook her head, “Brains…  _ Hiram _ , you could never… what the hell has Virgil said to make you think that?”

 

He shrugged, shaking his head, “N-nothing, I--I just… maybe it w-was m-me?”

 

“How?” She frowned, “Brains, what’s happened?”

 

He sighed as he looked down, “I g-got m-mad that w-we didn’t g-go away.”

 

“Well, yeah, I don’t blame you,” She agreed, Virgil hadn’t needed to cancel their break simply because a rescue had come in. Of course, she could see why he had, the boys were too close to simply vanish off when the others were in danger. There hadn’t been the need for them to cancel a whole week away though. 

 

“H-he said th-that he c-couldn’t have l-left P-penelope with the ch-children,” He shrugged again with a sigh, “I d-don’t exactly k-know m-much about ch-child c-care.”

 

Folding herself up at the end of the lounger she nodded, “Penny’s capable, about to have another baby or not, she could have managed.”

 

Brains pursed his lips, looking up to the sky as he replaced his glasses, “I sh-should h-have expected it.”

 

“What?” She asked softly, resting her chin on her knees. The area wasn’t exactly one of her expertise, but she was glad she and Brains could at least talk. It always worried her that the engineer didn’t talk enough and that too many of his worries went unnoticed. 

 

He brought his own knees up to his chest, twisting his head to look to her and rest his cheek on his knee, “We are d-different p-people, we w-want d-different th-things,” his whole body seemed to deflate at whatever thoughts were going through his head, “I sh-should have known.”

 

His thoughts, although scattered, were clear. Virgil was very family orientated, everything he did revolved around those he loved. She knew Brains would have been included in his attentions, he  _ did _ love the man after all. 

It was just, Virgil had his attentions divided too far. 

 

“That’s not your fault,” She told him, “If he’s not balancing it well enough for you, then maybe you two just need to talk about it?”

 

She watched as he screwed his eyes shut, “I w-wonder if I l-left it t-too long to t-talk about it.”

 

Her heart clenched at the reminder and she had to look away. 

 

“I-it’s n-not your fault.”

 

Looking up again she had to force a smile, “Maybe not, but it certainly feels like it.”

 

He sniffed, shifting to look out to the pool, “You w-weren’t to kn-know,”

 

Her mouth twitched up, “And you weren’t to know that it would be so hard for you and Virgil to balance things.”

 

She looked up to the sky with a shake of her head, “When he’s home, because he  _ will _ come home, you promise you’ll talk to him about it?”

 

The engineer sat up, raising an eyebrow at her, “As l-long as y-you p-promise to not b-blame yourself?”

She couldn’t fight her smile as she nodded, “Deal.” Standing she held out a hand to him, “Come on, we should be getting to bed.”

 

He nodded in agreement, taking her hand as he stood and walking with her in quiet companionship to their individual rooms. 


	10. Chapter 10

He kicked Virgil awake with his foot as the truck came to a halt, they’d been driving for hours through the darkness of the night and into the early hours of the morning. It had been impossible for him to track where they had gone, the cover given by the thick forest blocked any moonlight that there might have been. 

Opposite him, Virgil shifted, visibly wincing as he tried to stretch in the limited space. Blinking slowly he looked to Scott and frowned, “What time is it?”

 

Scott shook his head, he could guess, but had no realistic idea of how long they had been on the move for. He was cold, aching, and tired, his brain telling him to fight. What good would that do him though? For all intents and purposes, they were lost in the middle of the forest with no idea of which direction the nearest settlement was. 

He wouldn’t risk dying for the chance of freedom. 

 

“We’re here,” One of the guards announced, jumping from where they had been sat and gesturing for them to follow. 

 

The building they had arrived at was illuminated by the truck’s headlights, and at first glance he would have assumed the place was abandoned, old and dilapidated. Both Virgil and his training had taught him to look deeper than the cracks in the stone work, he could see the new glass in the windows, their frame new but made to look old. Paint had been left to peel and crumble from the walls, tiles missing from the old roof, yet the underneath protected by a newer layer of modern roof felt. 

 

The old wooden door creaked on its hinges as it opened, and the pair of them were nudged inside. He was quick to glance around in the hallway, unsurprised at the similarities to their ranch in Australia. The above ground levels were obviously uncared for, designed to look like a house falling to pieces, though he didn’t doubt that the stairs to the second floor were actually more stable than they looked. The doorway to the lower floors was open, revealing a fifth guard stood at the top of a flight of stairs, his gun pointed further into the basement. 

 

A nudge in his shoulder urged him forward into a had-been lounge, the wallpaper peeling from the walls and the couch a man was sat on moth-eaten with age. He glared for a moment at him, sat with one leg crossed over the other as his eyes flicked casually from him to Virgil. 

A kick to the back of his leg forced him to kneel, and turned his glare on the guard that did the same to Virgil. 

“Did they do as instructed?” The man on the couch asked, almost as calmly sa if asking about the weather. 

 

The one that had lead them in the tunnel stepped forward alongside them both, “They each brought a medpack as you anticipated, Horst, and there was someone following them so we had to blow the tunnel.”

 

“Shame.” Horst sighed, waving his hand slightly, “Bind their hands.”

 

Scott didn’t take his eyes off him as he stiffened, but from the corner of his eye he caught Virgil’s worried look. The ziptie was pulled tight around his wrists, pinching the skin as it did. Straightening his shoulders, he raised his chin, “What do you want?”

 

Horst smiled, “Ahh, so you do speak.”

 

“I know when to hold my tongue,” He sniped back, “Now, please answer my question.”

 

“Naked, lost, and tied? I don’t think you’re in a position to ask questions Mister Tracy.” Horst sighed again as he stood, slow, obviously aching as he pushed himself upright. He nodded his head slightly, as if in consideration as he walked towards the dust covered window, “On this occasion I will tell you though,” Turning back to the pair, he smiled, “I want a lot of things.”

 

He walked back to them, pulling the linen of his trousers up before he crouched right in front of them, dropping his voice as if sharing a secret, “I want names from the GDF, I wonder if you’ve heard of their ‘Bouncers’ programme?”

 

“Even if we had, why would we tell you?” Virgil growled. 

 

“We’re a rescue organisation Mister Horst,” Scott shook his head slowly, “We don’t get involved with the GDF’s issues.”

 

Horst nodded, a smile playing on his lips as he looked between them again, “Yet here you are, just where I wanted you. My very own bargaining chips against the GDF.”

 

As he stood straight, from his pocket he produced a holoball, flicking it up to hover in the air as a line opened on it. Glancing to them again he grinned, “I believe you have strong relations with Colonel Casey?”

 

In that moment Scott could have lunged, made an attack as their captor taunted. It was only that the Colonel answered the call that kept him from jumping. 

 

“Now do I have your attention Colonel?”

 

He swallowed at the glare Casey threw at him, no doubt ready to have words despite the situation they were in. It would have to wait though, a resolution needed to be found. 

 

“What do you want?” She asked, her glare turning on Horst.

 

Horst smiled, “The list for the Bouncers programme.”

 

Whatever it was, if Horst wanted a list of names, he knew it had to mean detriment to those whose names he was after. 

 

“You’re not going to get it.” 

 

He might have kept his voice low and head down, but it was enough to draw attention. Enough to get his head pulled back by the scalp and a gun to his temple. 

 

“ _ What _ did you say?” Horst growled. 

 

Scott shook his head, “Colonel Casey won’t give you anything. No names, no information, no money. Not for us.”

 

Horst nodded, “Then you have sentenced yourselves and eight others to death.”

 

“I thought your deal was with me, Horst?” Casey interrupted, “Not with them.”

 

Scott glared at his Aunt’s interruption, willing her to not give in to the demand. 

 

Horst turned to face the holoball straight on, broadening his shoulders as he spoke, “For your Godson’s little slip of the tongue, I’m going to add half a million dollars to that. Do you think that will be an issue?”

 

Casey’s glare hardened, “That will take time.”

 

“Is that a no?” Horst raised an eyebrow.

 

“It’s a warning. I cannot simply snap my fingers and it all be done.”

 

Scott shook his head, “You won’t do it at all Colonel.” 

 

Horst spun on him, face fury as he raised his hand, “I thought you said you knew when to keep your mouth shut?”

 

He sat firm, refusing to look away or blink, he wasn’t going to let Casey give him the list or the money. They’d find another way out. 

Horst turned, nodding towards Virgil, “Take him away.”

 

That got Scott’s attention.

 

“No!” He yelled, fighting to stand as his brother was hoisted up and away, “No, wait!”

 

“Leave them!” Casey was shouting at the same time, “I told you I would see what I can do! If you so much as--”

 

A shot sounded in the room, and Scott couldn’t help but flinch. Casey was also silenced at the other end of the line. Horst glared between them both, his gaze coming to rest on Casey, “That isn’t good enough Colonel. Half an hour, the money, the names. You have my details.”

 

He waved off the hologram, ending the call as he turned to Scott, “Not so much to say now we’ve taken away little brother?” He scoffed as he shook his head, “You’d best hope your Aunt comes through.”

 

Before he could lunge at him, the butt of a gun hit the back of his head, sending him forward and blanketing him in darkness. 


	11. Chapter 11

 

The fighter jet was being thrown about in the wind, more jumpy and flighty than ever. It was all she could do to go with it, use the weather to her advantage. There wasn’t really time but she had to spare a moment to glance across to one of the jets flying with her. 

 

“How’s it going Tracy?” 

 

His laugh was clear in her ear despite the roar of wind and fighter engines, “I’m all good Lakeland, you watch your flying.”

 

She grinned back, “What? A bit of wind got you worried?”

 

“Yeah Tracy,” Yale joined in from the third jet, “nothing to worry about.”

 

Scott’s voice was still cautious as he responded, “When it comes to our squad, I’ll always worry.”

 

It was only a moment later he was proved right, four larger jets appearing from nowhere. Only one warning shot was needed for the three to know that they were under enemy fire and too far from home for help to arrive in time. 

 

About all they had going for them was their maneuverability, yet even the weather made it a struggle for them. They had stronger fire power, better targeting systems, and seemed to know their every move. The four forced the three apart, separating them off from each other, cutting off their support.

 

“Drop speed and altitude,” Scott commanded across the comm, shifting straight to the leader he was, “Attempt to head back towards base.”

 

“I’ve sent a distress signal.” Yale responded as Jen dropped her speed, allowing her jet to fall back under two of the craft. Pursing her lips she looked up to the other jets, “I can come up behind and attempt a shot, but in this wind there’s a risk…”

 

“Do it.” Scott demanded. 

 

She took the shot, missing both the enemy jet and Yale by a fraction.

 

“Again Lakeland.” Scott ordered, “Keep firing.”

 

She knew that Yale went down first, but never heard the panicked cries she knew had been screamed into the comm as the jet spiralled in a cloud of smoke. Next it would be Scott if she didn’t manage to do something. 

 

“Target locked.” She announced, “Tracy if I don’t get this one…”

 

“You will Lakeland.” He responded through ground teeth, “Then we’ll both head back to base.”

 

She took the shot. 

 

It missed. 

 

And went straight into the wing of Scott’s jet. 

 

“No!”

 

Her breaths came in short sharp gasps as she clutched at the bed sheets. Tears stung her eyes as she screwed them shut. Her heart pounded in her chest, tightening painfully with each beat. 

 

_ Breathe Jen _ , She thought to herself, bringing a hand up to run though her hair,  _ Just breathe, you’re alright. _

 

Her hands trembled as she reached out to the bedside table, taking hold of her comm. Taking a moment she sat on the edge of the bed, her chest still tight and breaths too short as she bowed her head, trying to focus just enough to make it as far as the ensuite. 

 

She felt dizzy as she stood and stumbled the few steps through the door to the bathroom. The tiles were cold against her feet, instantly refreshing. Supporting herself on the radiator she sunk down to the floor, falling until she was lying with as much of her skin on the floor as she could cooling the sweat that had sheened her skin. 

 

“Breathe,” She whispered to herself, eyes closed, “Just breathe. You’re okay Jen.”

 

Her thumb toyed over the play button on the comm, only half wanting to press it despite her desperation. 

 

Normally it was okay. 

 

Normally Scott was there to reassure her, or at least at the other end of the comm. 

 

Normally the dream didn’t end with Scott getting shot down. 

 

“Jen,” his voice soothed gently, “Honey it’s okay. There’s no need to panic, take a breath, a nice big breath,”

 

He continued as she listened, following his instructions, imagining he was in the room with her and not somewhere hundreds of miles away. So close, yet so far. The reminder made her heart clench for a moment, her throat constrict at the thought of him being in danger. Taking a breath she refocused on his words, putting his absence out of her head.

 

“You’re alright,” Scott was saying, “It’s all alright darling.”

 

She cut off the recording, not wanting to hear the promise that she knew followed at the very end. 

Scott wasn’t there and she wasn’t sure that it was alright. 

 

***

It was rare for anyone to sit at Jeff’s desk, normally only Scott willing to take up the seat that had long since been unoccupied by their father. If monitoring rescues from the ground, John would take up the seat and occasionally the others would sit there, if making calls or doing paperwork. 

Kayo generally hated taking the seat, one late night she had once described it to Penny as being a special thing for the boys and that she always felt  _ off _ when she sat there. 

Seeing her sat there on her way to breakfast, made Penelope pause and frown. 

 

“Kayo?”

 

The younger woman looked up, forcing a tight smile as she did before looking back to the comm, “Nobody’s told Jen.”

 

Penny had to wince, looking away with a sigh before waddling over to the desk, “She needs to know.”

 

Kayo nodded, leaning back in the seat, “Should I fly out and tell her?”

 

She smiled slightly, shaking her head, “She’ll only tell you that you’re needed here more.” Glancing to her watch, she pursed her lips, “The twins will have just left for school, now’s as good a time as any.”

 

“Right.” Kayo sighed, reaching to make the call.

 

Jen was clearly on alert as soon as she saw it was Kayo calling, her back straightened and eyes widened as she answered, “Kayo?”

 

A glance to her before looking back to the hologram, Penny reached out to her shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze of support as Kayo started, “Jen. It’s not good news.”

 

“What?” Jen asked, voice tight and steely as she ground her teeth, “What happened?”

 

“It was a trap, they had measures in place that we didn’t expect and got away with Scott and Virgil before I could follow them,” She took a breath, “The GDF is aware and we’re waiting to hear more.”

 

Jen cursed under her breath, running a hand through her hair as she closed her eyes, Penny suddenly felt guilty that she was on her own. 

 

“Jen, do you want me to fly out? I can bring Finn and--”

 

“No,” Jen sighed, “Thank you, Pen, but it’s fine. I’m fine.”

 

The wobble in her voice suggested different, but Jen wasn’t the type of person you could easily argue with. Somehow, she always had a way to win. Penelope put it down to having argued with Scott too many times. 

 

“Do you want to come home?” Kayo offered, “It’s only--”

 

“The twins need their routine,” Jen murmured, as if trying to persuade herself, “Could I do anything if I came home?”

 

Kayo looked to Penelope, and Penelope to Kayo, both hating the only answer they had to give her. 

 

“I’m afraid it’s a bit of a waiting game.” Penny murmured, “There’s not much we can do for now.”

 

Even through the hologram she could see the tears in Jen’s eyes as the older woman shook her head. She blinked hard, shaking her head as she swallowed, “It’s fine, it’ll be fine.”

 

“I’m flying out,” Kayo announced, “I’ll be there soon Jen.”

 

“No,” Jen sniffed, “You’re needed there.”

 

“And you need me there.” Kayo nodded, “I’m coming.”

 

She didn’t wait for a response as she cut out the comm and pushed the chair back, looking to Penny as she stood, “Keep in touch?”

 

Nodding, Penny squeezed her arm, “Give her my love.”

 

Kayo smiled briefly, “I will.” 

 

Though she quietly doubted it was their love Jen wanted in that moment. 


	12. Chapter 12

His head throbbed as he rolled onto his back, screwing his eyes shut against the light of the room. He winced as he landed on his bound hands, another problem he knew he needed to sort. 

Allowing himself just a moment, he paused, listening, waiting. Outside he could hear the rustle of eucalyptus in the soft breeze, the frame of the house creaked and groaned around him, but there was no sound of people. Opening his eyes, he eased himself up, letting the vertigo ease before he looked around. Stiffness had started to seep into his bones, his back and legs aching from the day before. 

 

There was nobody in the room.

 

He checked around himself again, definitely nobody else there. Struggling to his feet he went to the door, listening for any sounds. 

 

Nothing. 

 

Thinking carefully he took a breath, glancing around the room. Getting out was one thing, getting away was another. He needed a weapon, something to protect himself if he came across Horst and his gang. First though, he needed to get free. 

 

Bending forward at his waist he raised his arms as high as he could behind his back before bringing his wrists down on his tailbone. He winced as the tie scratched and pulled against his skin, but it didn’t give. 

A second attempt, just as unsuccessful. 

 

Third time lucky, but left his back and wrists burning. With a sigh he rubbed the red welts on his skin and turned to the desk at the far end of the room. 

 

The drawers were stiff, settled with disuse, still full of papers and useless knick knacks. Beneath the envelopes and letters he found what he had hoped, a letter opener, dirty but sharp. It was a weapon. 

 

He kept routing, pulling both drawers right out and feeling at the back. Nothing. 

 

_ A letter opener is better than nothing.  _ He told himself, turning back towards the door. 

 

Testing the handle, he was surprised to find it turned, unsure if it put him more on edge or not. Pulling slightly, he peaked out of the thin gap, looking as far around as he could to see if anyone was there. 

 

Nothing. 

The door creaked as he nudged it further open, stepping back into the room he waited for a moment, listening for anyone else. 

 

Still nothing. 

 

He dared to step out into the hallway, listening again as he left the safety of the room. The front door was open, the jeep that had transported them gone. 

 

_ Could be a trap _ . He wondered silently, pursing his lips,  _ But it’s just too quiet _ . 

 

Stepping lightly, he crossed the hallway to the door he had spotted on their way in leading down to the basement. He tested the door, frowning when he found it was locked. Rattling the door in the frame a little, he listened again.

 

“Virg?” He called softly, worried he’d draw too much attention, “You down there?”

 

“Scott?” His voice was muffled through the wood, “That you?”

 

“Yeah,” He responded, “Stand back, I’ve got the door.”

 

There was a pause, shuffling and murmurs before a faint call of, “We’re clear!” 

 

It only took two solid kicks to the lock before it gave, he went to the door, pulling it towards him. It creaked on its hinges as it swung towards him, down the stairs a single bulb shone, barely illuminating the space below. He checked behind him, making sure the noise hadn’t drawn any unwanted attention. 

 

“Scott!” Virgil’s voice snapped, drawing his attention as a jumble of clothes flew towards him. The letter opener clattered to the floor as he reached out, catching only his vest as the rest of his clothes fell around him. 

 

“Where the hell did these come from?” He asked, not hesitating in getting dressed as Virgil already had done. 

 

Virgil shrugged, standing in the doorway as he checked along the hallway, “They dumped them in there behind me.” 

 

Scott frowned as he pulled his jeans up. It seemed wrong, why give them their clothes back and vanish off? They had only used zip ties and locked doors, nothing overly complex. He couldn’t understand why they would abandon them, not with simply a locked door between them and freedom. 

 

He pulled on his t-shirt and then his jumper, “What are we looking at?”

“Six adults, a young kid and a baby that’s a couple of months old,” Virgil murmured, glancing towards the front door warily, “Nobody injured or hurt.”

 

Scott nodded, pulling on his coat and then crouching to fasten his boots. Before he stood he took the letter opener, “Stay here until I signal it’s safe.”

 

He forced a smile as Virgil swallowed, shoulders sinking in worry. Scott straightened, reaching to squeeze his brother’s shoulder, “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.”

 

Virgil nodded, “They threw the med packs at us too, I’ll grab them and get the others ready to move out.”

 

“F.A.B.” Scott nodded, dropping to a crouch as he headed towards the door. 

 

He listened to the sounds outside, the wind still rustling the trees around them, there was the soft sounds of intermittent bird song, almost an idyllic morning despite the circumstances. Still he moved forward, pausing at the side of the door, taking a moment to just breathe before sticking his arm out, quickly contracting it back. 

 

Nothing. 

 

“No shooting,” He murmured to himself, turning to lean out of the doorway, “That’s something.”

 

Still nothing, just simple open Tasmanian forest. Relief washed over him as he leant back against the wall of the building, “They’re gone.”

 

He swallowed the bile that had been building in his throat, taking another steadying breath before looking back into the hallway and the open basement door, “We’re clear!”

 

Tilting his head back, he looked up to the ceiling, taking a moment to think about their next move. His eyes widened at what he saw, a box and wires running to every corner of the hallway. A single red light flashing in a steady rhythm. 

 

He ran to the door, reaching for the person making their way up the stairs, “Out! Now!” He snapped, “Quickly! There’s a bomb!”

 

Virgil had obviously heard his shout of warning as he called back, “Move!” He snapped just as sharp, “Scott, out, now!” 

 

He hesitated, waiting until the first pair were out of the door before considering following. They wouldn’t know how far away they needed to be, they’d probably stop too close. He cursed to himself, Horst could be waiting for them all. 

 

“To the tree line!” He yelled to the two people in front of him, “As far out as you can!”

He was barely out of the door as the crack split the air, the force sending him forward as it had done in the darkness of the tunnel. Twisting mid air, he screamed at the sight he saw, the old stone building crumbling before him into a demolished pile of wood and rubble. 

Checking around he did a quick count, two people between him and the house, two just as far as the clearing. 

 

None of them were Virgil. 


	13. Chapter 13

She winced as the heat of the water burnt her hands but continued to rinse the cloth. Her hands were beet red as she twisted the water out of the fabric. Not that she cared, it was simply that she had to  _ do _ something. 

If she were at home she knew just what she would be doing, running the length of the beach until her legs gave out, climbing to the highest peak she could reach and screaming to the air, or swimming as far out as she could against the current. Any of which would likely draw more attention than she wanted in that moment. 

 

Turning to the oven she began to scrub again, wiping away the thin layer of grime that had built up. She’d already done the bathrooms and the twins’ room, when she had gone to her bedroom she had caught herself, not quite able to start with the reminder of Scott’s absence.

So absorbed in what she was doing, listening to the rhythmic pattern of the cloth against metal, she didn’t hear the front door. 

 

“Jen?”

 

She spun around with a gasp, tensing as she looked to the kitchen doorway, before letting her shoulders sink, one hand going to her chest, “Kayo! Don’t sneak up on me like that!” 

 

“I did knock,” She told her, leaning against the door frame, “you didn’t answer, so I let myself in.” 

 

Jen shrugged, going back to what she was doing, “I must have had my head in the oven.”

 

She didn’t like the way she watched her as she went to rinse the cloth again. She did love Kayo like a sister, but sometimes, she just needed the space. Going back to the oven she started scrubbing again. 

 

“You know Scott had a cleaner in when you bought the place?” Kayo pointed out. 

 

“They didn’t do a very good job.” Jen uttered, pulling out and holding up the cloth as evidence, “Does that look clean to you?”

 

“I’m sure he’ll write to them when he’s back.” Kayo responded, deadpan. 

 

Jen paused, swallowed hard.  _ When _ , She thought to herself,  _ she said when _ . 

 

Looking up again she bit her lip, quashing the hope that was rising in her chest. 

 

“Have you…”

 

Kayo sighed, her shoulders falling, enough of an answer before she even spoke, “Sorry.”

 

Turning back to the oven she shook her head, “It’s fine.”

 

“Jen it’s not,  _ you’re  _ not fine.” Kayo reached out to touch her arm, “You need to stop.”

 

“I need to  _ do _ something!” Jen snapped back, throwing the cloth into the sink, sending water splashing onto the counter and floor. She took a breath, the fear and hurt swelling to a crescendo in her chest, “And I  _ can’t _ help find out where they are, and I  _ can’t _ made some sort of deal with these… these…  _ terrorists _ ! And I can’t even tell my kids why Daddy isn’t going to pick them up tomorrow like he promised!”

 

Kayo shrugged, her face sympathetic and voice soft as she reached out to Jen again, “They might be back by then, we don’t know what’s going on. They’re smart and strong, and Scott’s got his training,”

 

“No!” Jen snapped, frustration getting the better of her, “You don’t understand Kayo! It’s not about how smart or brave or strong  _ they _ are. It’s about what the hell these terrorists want and what they’re willing to do to get it.” 

 

She had to pull away, turning her back to her friend as she went to mop up the mess the cloth had made, “I’ve seen it before in the air force, not even the best, most trained, men and women can hold up against someone who wants something so desperately.” 

 

“They won’t kill them,” Kayo murmured softly, “They can’t.” 

 

Jen scoffed shaking her head, “That’s denial Kay, thought you knew better than that?”

 

She turned back to her as she set the cloth down next to the sink playing with the hole that had worn into the material, “It’s been two hours since Casey made her offer, I won’t be surprised if they’ve already killed them.”

 

“Don’t you dare!” Kayo growled, “Since when did you give up hope on Scott?”

 

“It’s called being realistic.” Jen shrugged, “There’s no point hoping for something that’s never going to happen.”

 

“They still hope on Jeff.” Kayo stated, voice cold, “Why shouldn’t you hope on them?”

 

Jen shrugged, “Because I know what happened. They went…  _ wherever,  _ got abducted by these people, and then we’re held to ransom for them. Happy ever afters don’t exist in my world.”

 

She knew it was excuses, even to her own ears. Her walls had gone up and she wasn’t letting them down, not for anything. It wouldn’t do her any good, she’d only get hurt again, left alone and forgotten. At least she had the twins, she hoped they at least would always be around for her to love. 

 

The slap stung her cheek when it landed, a shock to her system that sent her recoiling in surprise as she touched the skin. 

 

“What the hell would Scott say if he heard you saying that?” Kayo snapped at her, “Huh?”

 

Jen frowned, not quite sure what had made Kayo flip from sympathy to white hot rage. She had just been stating the truth, that there was no point hoping when she knew the likely outcome. What was the point in hurting herself more?

 

“That man  _ loves _ you Jen! You and your kids! He’d do anything to be here with the three of you, so don’t go thinking that just because he’s in a bad situation he’s not gonna come home. If you knew half the man Scott Tracy was you’d know he will be fighting every second of every minute of every day to get home to you.”

 

Jen swallowed, looking to the floor as she shook her head. She knew it was true, knew that Scott wouldn’t give up so easily. It  _ hurt _ though, to know he would be fighting whilst she could do nothing. It was simply easier to believe the worst than to go through the pain of being helpless. 

 

“I need to go.” She swallowed, pushing past Kayo and through the door, grabbing her sneakers from the shoe rack. 

 

“What?” Kayo spun, “Where the hell are you going?”

 

“Out.” She snapped back, not looking up as she tied her laces, “I can’t just stand here and listen to your ideals, I can’t  _ do _ anything. I need to get out and  _ do _ something.”

 

Because she couldn’t help Scott, she couldn’t find him, she couldn’t back him up, she couldn’t scream at how stupid he was even though none of it was his fault. There was nothing she could do in that moment to fix things, and nothing she could do to make it hurt less. 

 

“Shit,” She heard Kayo sigh as she went to the front door, “Jen! Wait for me!” 

 

She caught up to her on the sidewalk, catching her arm and making her spin, “Jen, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have--”

 

“I can’t put myself through hoping.” She blurted, cutting her off, “It hurts too much to hope.”

 

Kayo nodded, looking down with a sigh, “I get that, I really do. I should have understood sooner, I’m sorry.”

 

Jen nodded, “I’m sorry too.” She hadn’t, after all, been the most receptive to Kayo’s help. 

 

Kayo squeezed her hand gently, “Come on, I know a place, I think it’ll help you.”

 

Jen raised an eyebrow in question, “What kind of place?”

 

“Kickboxing?” Kayo offered with a small smile. 

 

She let herself relax slightly at the suggestion, nodding as she pursed her lips, “That sounds good.”

 

Of course it wouldn’t fix things, but it would make it easier to cope, just until it did get better. 

 


	14. Chapter 14

He coughed as he looked around, the dust thick in the air shifting slowly with the help of the gentle breeze. His heart told him to find his brother, but his head told him to help those they had come to rescue. 

 

Stumbling towards the two that had fallen between him and the building, he crouched to help them up, “Are either of you hurt?” 

 

The first, a young man not much older than Alan, shook his head, “Cuts and grazes but nowt serious.”

 

“Scott.” He introduced himself, looking to the tree line for the other two, a woman and a man. 

 

“Malique,” The first nodded, drawing his attention back to the pair he was with, “This is Danielle.”

 

“My wrist,” Danielle moaned as she sat up, whole body tense, “Shit, it’s…”

 

“Oi!” Malique yelled, “Ruby! Marty! Get over here!”

 

Scott looked to the two heading back to them from the treeline and then back to Danielle, reaching to her arm, “Try and keep it still, Virgil said that he had our medpacks in the basement with you, there’s a splint in there we can use to stabilise it.”

 

“Wait,” Malique stopped him as he went to stand straight, “You’re going in there?”

 

He nodded, “I was briefed that there were eight people in there aside from my brother and I. I don’t know about you but I only saw four come out.”

 

“Freya and the kids!” Danielle gasped, eyes wide as she tried to stand, “And Lexi!”

 

“Woah,” Scott stopped her before she shifted her arm too much, “Steady on. You’ll hurt yourself more.”

 

Malique nodded, “I’ve got her, if you’re sure you wanna go in there.”

 

Looking to the building, Scott swallowed, “I have to.”

 

He wished he had his kit, something to protect him and give him a better chance of reaching Virgil in one piece. 

 

There wasn’t much left of the door, the frame barely in one piece as he stepped into the ruins. The dust was thicker inside, choking him in one breath. Bringing up his shirt he covered his mouth, hoping it would be enough to help, even if only slightly. 

 

“Virgil?” He called out, “Anyone?”

 

Only the creaking and groaning of the beams that had once held up the stone work replied to his calls, forcing him deeper into the rubble. 

 

He was lucky that the hallway had been small, making it obvious where the stairs down to the basement had been. Debris covered the hole that was left, masonry, plasterboard, and wood some of it easier to move than others. He began to shift what he could, aiming for easier access, hoping for an easier exit for his brother. 

Panic set in as he pulled the final chunk of plaster away, the outline of a body on the stairs, unmoving. His eyes couldn’t adjust quick enough to the darkness as he blinked, crouching awkwardly in the small space. 

Her hair was short, but her face was distinctly female, her eyes closed, a gash across her forehead and a second lump missing out of the back of her scalp. Scott had to look away and swallow as he shook his head. 

 

“I’m sorry.” He whispered as he looked back again, “I’m so sorry.”

 

Shifting the corpse to one side of the staircase, he looked down further into the basement. Even with his eyes adjusted to the dark, it was hard to see, the dust distorted the shadows making him see things he was sure weren’t there.

 

It was the heavy breathing he heard first. He frowned, trying to see further into the gloom, trying to pinpoint where the noise was coming from. It seemed to be getting closer, and he could tell it was labored. 

 

“Is anyone there?”

 

A gasp, and then a sigh, “Scott?”

 

He let himself stumble down the debris strewn stairs, reaching his brother at the bottom and grabbing him by the shoulders, “Are you hurt?”

 

Virgil shook his head, “I’m fine,” He looked up and down Scott, and the older brother knew he was trying to examine him even in the low light, “Are you?”

 

“Better now I’ve found you,” Scott nodded. 

 

“Good.” Virgil took a hitched breath, “Shit. What the hell happened?”

“Bomb.” Scott stated, still trying to assess him, “There’s a body on the stairs. And then...”

 

He suddenly caught sight of the bundle in his brother’s arms, clutched tightly as if Virgil were afraid to let go.

 

“What’s that?”

 

Virgil’s eyes widened as he looked down, as if processing what he had been asked, “Oh,” He pulled the blanket back a little, “Amy; her Mom’s trapped, I tried... I tried to move it but… I couldn’t, and she’s bleeding out.”

 

Scott squeezed his shoulders, noting how dazed he seemed, “Where are they Virg?”

 

He shook his head, eyes still on the baby, “I need to get her out.”

 

Scott nodded, “You can take her, just tell me where they are, I’ll go and see to them.”

 

“You’ll need a med pack,” Virgil murmured, “I left it down there with them, I lost the other one.”

 

“Virgil,” Scott snapped his fingers in front of his face, “Where?”

 

His eyes screwed shut for a moment, a slight shake of his head, “Sorry, I--”

 

Taking a breath Scott nodded, his brother wasn’t trained for such a situation. Accidents, natural disasters, he could do. Having the danger specifically aimed to try and kill you was a different matter. 

 

“It’s alright, just tell me where they are, then go and get fresh air.”

 

Virgil glanced back, “Down, head straight towards the back fo the room, it’s further than you think, when you reach the burst water pipe turn left.”

 

Scott patted his shoulder, “I’ll be up as soon as I can.”

 

Virgil nodded slowly, “Okay.”

 

Scott nudged him forward in the general direction he had come, watching for a moment as his younger brother went before going to do his job. 


	15. Chapter 15

He heard the water before he saw it, the hiss of the spray as it jetted out down the wall, pooling on the stone floor. 

 

“Hello?” He shouted, his voice now hoarse with the dust, “Anybody there?”

 

“Here!” He heard a yell, “Oh god, please help?”

 

He vaulted the beam across the doorway, ducking under the sparking wires as he landed. It was a small room in the building, what looked like disused cupboards and filing cabinets scattered about the space. That wasn’t his focus though, the light from the middle of the room more important, a torch. 

 

“Hey,” He greeted, going to crouch by the boy holding the torch, looking to the trapped woman with a smile he hoped was reassuring, “I’m Scott.”

 

“Amy,” The woman sniffed, “Your brother, he took Amy. Did they get out?”

 

“She’s fine,” Scott assured, reaching out to the woman’s shoulder and smiling to the boy, “We’ve got to get you out now.”

 

“I’m not leaving Mommy!” The boy cried out, wrapping himself tighter around his mother’s free arm. 

She swallowed, looking down to the boy, “Hey, come on now,” She winced, biting her lip before taking a breath, “I said you’d have to go with the nice men, they’ll loo--”

 

“Let’s see what we can do for you first Freya,” Scott cut her off, “Now little man, can you help me?”

 

The boy looked unsure but nodded slowly, “You’re gonna help Momma?”

 

“If I can, I will,” Scott nodded.

 

“Brad,” Freya whispered, reaching up to the boy’s cheek, “I’m hurt really really badly, you remember like Uncle Joe was?”

 

“No!” The boy cried out, “No, I don’ wan’ you to go like Un’le Joe did! You can’t go Momma!”

 

Scott took the torch when the boy dropped it, shining it down the mother’s body, stomach churning at what he saw. One of her legs was stuck out from the rubble at entirely the wrong angle, and the fact that she wasn’t in agony spoke volumes. He could see the pool of blood seeping out from under the debris, inching further by the minute.

Setting the light on the floor, he went to the beam at the top of the pile, straining for a moment before stepping back in defeat. Not even with Virgil’s help would they be able to shift the metal. Tears sprung to his eyes as the realisation came, there was simply nothing they could do. 

 

Taking the torch, he looked back to her again, catching the tears in her eyes with his own. He was about to speak when a yell broke the silence, “Scott? Did you find them?”

 

Scott’s head snapped up, surprise replacing the sorrow, “Virg? We’re here!”

 

He shook his head as his brother joined them, looking slightly less pale in the torchlight, “I thought you were getting out?”

 

Virgil nodded, crouching next to Freya, “I’m fine, some air in my lungs set me straight.”

 

He smiled to the mother and son, “Danielle took Amy, said I had to come and get you guys.”

 

“Just Brad,” Freya replied, “You just have to take him.”

 

“No!” The boy cried, pulling back from his mother and attempting to stand with a cry of pain replacing the distraught tears. 

 

“Woah,” Virgil caught him, “Steady kid, your leg’s hurt.”

 

Freya sniffed, glancing away for a moment, “You need to go and get that looked at Son,” She told him, reaching out to take his hand, “That’ll get better in no time,”

 

He looked back to his mother, gripping onto Virgil’s arm, “But… Mommy, I want you to get better,”

 

She shook her head, “I… I’m too bad to get--” She hissed for a moment, screwing her eyes up before she sighed, “-- to get better.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Scott croaked, wishing there was something else to say, “I…” 

 

Her smile was exhausted and forced as she shook her head, he knew that smile, it was the kind that haunted him in those kinds of dark damaged buildings. The mother had given up.

 

“It’s okay. This isn’t your fault.”

 

Scott looked to his brother as Virgil looked up to him, both knowing what she was saying. In that moment, Brad scrambled away from Virgil, back to his mother’s arm. 

 

“Please?” She whispered, “I’m all these two have, you have to look after them for me? Make sure they’re safe and looked after… please?”

 

Virgil smiled, nodding as he reached out to her shoulder, “I swear, we’ll do everything we can for them.”

 

“Thank you,” Her voice wobbled as a glistening droplet snuck out of the corner of her eye, “I won’t have to worry about them then.”

 

“No!” Brad exclaimed, “Mommy, no! You’re coming with us!”

 

She shook her head again, “No, you’ve got to be brave Brad okay? I love you and your sister so very much and I always will,” She sniffed, biting her lip, “I’ll always love you two angels.”

 

“I love you too mommy,” He sniffed, swiping at his face, “I don’t want you to go.”

 

“Y--you’ve got to be good now,” She sniffed, swallowing hard as she looked to him, “These men will take care of you, okay?” Her hand shook as she brushed his hair back, “Be a good boy Brad, look after your sister.”

 

“Momma,” Brad cried, “Momma I love you.”

 

“Go on now,” She murmured, “Go and see your sister’s okay Brad.”

 

Scott heard Virgil clear his throat and ducked his own head as he swallowed hard. He picked up the one medpack in the room, hesitating at the sight of a bag next to it. 

 

“That’s mine,” Freya whispered, “take it, it’s their stuff mostly.”

 

Scott watched as Virgil lifted the boy into his arms, clutching him just as tightly as he had his sister as he carried him out. He hesitated himself, looking back to Freya, “I can stay if…”

 

Her words were slurred, exhausted as she closed her eyes, “Wha--good would tha--do anyone?”

 

“We won’t let them forget you.” Scott offered, “I’m sorry we couldn’t.”

 

Her eyes flicked open again, unseeing and blank, “You’re saving them, that’s all I could ask for.”

 

As her eyes drifted closed, he watched the movement of her chest slow and eventually stop. Biting his lip, he took a breath and swallowed hard before turning to follow Virgil back to the daylight. 


	16. Chapter 16

 

Scott looked around the small group of survivors. He knew they couldn’t stay, the risk of another attack was too great for him to face. For all they knew Horst could have been on his way back at that very moment.

 

“What’re you thinking?” Virgil asked, joining Scott as he wiped his hands on his trousers. 

 

Scott shook his head,  “We need to move,”

 

Virgil sighed, “Well, Danielle has a broken arm, Malique a sprained ankle, and Brad can’t walk on his leg.”

 

Scott looked up, “How bad is the kids leg?”

 

Virgil shrugged, “It’s a damned deep cut, I’ve cleaned it and bandaged it the best I can with the med pack.”

 

Scott sighed, “Can you carry him?”

 

“We can take it in turns to,” A woman stepped forward, holding her hand out to Scott, “I’m Ruby, I kind of took charge when our group was put together.”

 

Scott shook her hand, “I’m sorry we didn’t do more to get you all out of there, not living up to our names very well.”

 

Ruby shook her head, “You are as much the victims here as we are, as I understand it they used you as bargaining chips?”

 

Virgil nodded, “We did have a rescue plan, but it failed somewhat spectacularly.”

 

Scott frowned as he looked up, “Horst said something about the ‘Bouncers programme’? I thought that was just...” He shrugged, “...just a myth?”

 

Ruby nodded, “We’re real alright, few and far between, but we’re around.”

 

“What are they?” Virgil asked, looking between them in confusion. 

 

Scott turned his head to him, slightly, watching Brad across the open space as the boy stretched himself to check on his baby sister, “People that jump teams, the GDF have them bounce from place to place in groups until interested parties lose track, or their interest. Then they start new lives on secure bases and have everything that most people could want." 

 

Ruby nodded, “Pretty much.”

 

Virgil followed Scott’s gaze, raising his chin as he asked, “So, what about Brad and Amy?”

 

“Freya was part of a nasty group," Ruby started, "Once Brad came along she wanted out. Came to the GDF for help in exchange for information,”

 

She sighed, shoving her hands in her pockets as she watched the pair of children,  “They had her gathering intel for years, waiting for the right time. Then she got pregnant with Amy, they pulled her out and have had her moving around since then.”

 

Gesturing around those that were injured or sat in the small area she shrugged, “All of us have a similar but different story. We were holed up here until the GDF were meant to come and get us... then we would have had new lives, jobs on a base--"

 

“But Horst got to you all first.” Scott murmured. 

 

He looked down to the shorter woman, “We need to move, if we stay here there’s a risk of them coming back to finish us off.”

 

Ruby pointed towards the treeline, “There’s a river a short way that way,”

 

For the first time Scott smiled slightly, “You think we should follow it?”

 

She shrugged, “It’s got to lead somewhere, and at least then we’ll have a source of water as we go.”

 

Scott nodded in agreement, going to pick up the medpack, “We’d best start now, we’re losing light.”

 

*

 

Virgil shifted Brad on his back slightly as they walked. Ahead he could see Scott helping Danielle across a log, their eyes catching briefly before each refocussed on their own tasks.

 

“You alright there kiddo?”

 

“I want my momma,” Brad murmured with a sniffle, “I miss her.”

 

Virgil winced, it had only been a few hours. In the rush to get away from the base he had forgotten to talk to Brad. Guilt suddenly consumed him, had anyone explained to him about his mother?

 

Up ahead there was a call to take a break and everyone immediately began to drop down to rest. Virgil didn’t take exception as he carefully dropped Brad from his back, setting him down without hurting his leg. Crouching down he took his hands in his, “Brad, I need you to listen to me,”

 

He looked up to him, his hazel eyes wide and glistening with unshed tears, “I know Momma isn’t coming back,”

 

The tears overflowed and he didn’t bother trying to wipe them away as he sniffled, “Momma isn’t ever comin’ back and I not ever gonna’ see her ‘gain!”

 

His mumbled words turned to sobs that wracked his entire body, even as Virgil lifted him into his lap and held him tightly. He knew those sobs, remembered for himself how they pulled at everything you had and drained you entirely. At such a young age, he knew it was impossible to understand how something you couldn’t physically feel hurt so much. It was impossible to explain how each sob tore at your insides even when there was no physical damage done. In that moment he knew it wasn’t fair to tell him that it would be okay.

 

He let the boy cry for a while, holding him close and rocking him in a small act of comfort. Eventually he lifted him, taking him up to the front of the small group where Ruby was sat with Amy in her arms. Brad sniffed, wiping as his cheeks as Virgil sat down next to Ruby, taking an instant interest in his younger sister. 

It slightly surprised Virgil that he didn’t let go of him, instead clinging to his shirt as he leant over to watch Amy. 

 

He wished he had something more to say, he knew the grief first hand yet, it had seemed so different when he had been the one grieving. It wasn’t their department, first aid and immediate comfort was all they usually had to do before bereaved kids were handed off to the appropriate care. The child was grieving right in front of him and he knew he couldn’t just leave him to get on with it. 

 

At the same time though, he knew a meltdown was the last thing they needed whilst they were lost in the forest. It was Gordon that had taught him the trick when Finn had entered his terrible twos, use their need for being grown up against them. Personally, he hated the thought of delaying the grieving but he needed Brad to be strong and brave, just until they were safe.

 

He didn’t need him worrying about his baby sister, nor did he need him thinking about the mother they had lost. Brad needed to worry on keeping moving forward and looking after the gash on his leg, they had to be his biggest worry until they were safe.

“Brad,” He murmured, squeezing his shoulder gently to draw his attention, “You need to be a brave big boy. Ruby will look after Amy, and I need you to focus on looking after yourself, can you do that for me?”

 

With a big sniff Brad nodded, sitting straighter and puffing his chest out, “Yeah, I’m a big boy.”

 

Virgil knew his own smile was forced as he nodded, “Good lad.”

 

Across from them, Scott watched Virgil with the young boy, noting the way that his hand rubbed his back in a natural soothing motion and how he constantly had one eye on Amy. He knew the look, he had seen Jen give the twins the same look plenty of times and knew he equally did so himself. 

Attachment he knew, could be a problem. 


	17. Chapter 17

Lucy shoved her plate across the table, folding her arms with a pout, “Daddy promised!” 

 

Jen groaned with a sigh, wishing she could give the pair some facts rather than just a vague guess and hope, “I know he did sweet, and I promise he will make it up to you when he’s back.”

 

“When’s that gonna be?”

 

Biting her lip, Jen shrugged, “I don’t know, but you’ve got to be good if you want him to make it up to you,”

 

She looked pointedly at the still full plate of vegetables. Lucy pursed her lips as she drew it back towards herself. 

 

“I’m angry.” Luke proclaimed as he stabbed a piece of carrot, “Dad should be here!”

 

“I know,” Jen stood, passing behind both of them to kiss the tops of their heads, “I’m upset at Daddy too. How about, once you’ve finished your dinners we can go out to the cinema, I’ll even let you have ice cream,”

 

Both cheered but it was a small relief for Jen to see them happy. They had been disappointed enough about their father not being present for their first week of school, that he had let them down on the Friday night seemed even more unfair. 

 

As she set about washing the dishes to ease her frustration, she called Kayo on the island. 

 

“How are they taking it?” Kayo asked softly.

 

Jen shook her head as she shook the suds from a glass, “They’re upset, obviously.”

 

Kayo sighed, “I wish I had something more to tell you, but I’ve been out with the GDF all day and there’s just nothing.”

 

It had been Kayo that had persuaded her to hope, just a little bit, she had insisted that believing the worst wasn’t healthy and that as long as they hadn’t heard there was hope. So she felt safe looking to the hologram with pleading eyes, “They have to be somewhere, whatever’s happened they can’t have just vanished.”

 

“I know.” Kayo nodded, “As soon as I can I’ll go back out, but the boys might need me for this flood.”

 

“Do what you have to,” Jen told her, “I assume the GDF are still looking?”

 

“Yeah,” Kayo murmured, “Casey won’t let them stop, not until we hear something.”

 

Jen shook her head, swallowing the bitterness before she spoke, “It’s been over thirty six hours since she offered the deal, if we haven’t heard by now…”

 

“She knows,” Kayo agreed softly, “We all know Jen.” 

 

Jen sighed as she set the pan down on the drainer, “He promised he’d be home for the weekend.”

 

“All we can do is keep looking and hope something changes,” Kayo offered, “I’ll call you if I hear any more.”

 

She could only find one thing to say in response as she let the water out of the sink, “But he promised.”

 

*

“I promised I’d be there.”

 

Virgil looked up from poking the fire, “Where?”

 

He swallowed, rubbing his face with a sigh, “The twins will have just finished school, I promised I’d be waiting at the gates for them.”

 

“Shit,” Virgil breathed, keeping his voice low so as to not disturb the sleeping child tucked into his side, “Why the hell did you promise them something like that?”

 

Scott sat back against the log with a sigh, “Because I expected it to be more straightforward than this.”

 

“You got a family?” Marty asked quietly shuffling against the tree he was sat up against. 

 

Scott nodded, looking down as he picked leaves from a twig, “Twins, and my beautiful wife,” He frowned as he patted down his coat, checking the inside pocket as he remembered. Sighing with relief, he smiled softly at the photo that was only a few weeks old. Grandma had insisted upon it, a family barbeque in a lull between rescues before the kids went off to school. It had been bad luck that only a moment after the family photo has been taken they had been called off to a landslide. 

 

“And four brothers,” Virgil grinned with a soft laugh, “don’t go leaving us out of the equation!”

 

“Alright,” Scott chucked, “four brothers, an adopted sister, one nephew, another one on the way, and a grandmother.”

 

“Big family,” Marty nodded, clearly impressed, “so what? Do you all live together?”

 

Virgil scoffed, shifting Brad slightly against him, “It’s not often we’re all home at once.”

 

“It’s getting better,” Scott disagreed, “the GDF’s ability to take on more issues is helping.”

 

Marty shook his head, “I don’t know how you guys do it, takes guts y’know?”

 

“He’s right,” Danielle murmured from where she had been dosing, “The world owes your family an awful lot.”

 

“And we owe you even more,” Marty added. 

 

“We’re not safe yet,” Scott sighed, “I’m not sure how we’re going to get out of this damned forest.”

 

He glanced across to Virgil at the soft mewls of the baby girl, wrapped up against Ruby’s chest as both slept. Scott’s shoulders fell as he recognised the cry of hunger, shifting to stand he turned to the medpack as Ruby sat up rubbing her eyes. 

 

“Hey baby girl,” Ruby murmured, unzipping her jacket that had been keeping the baby warm, “Hungry again huh?”

 

“I don’t know what we’re going to do if we’re out here much longer,” Virgil sighed, glancing to the dredges of formula left in the bottle, “babies can’t survive on water like we can.”

 

“I diluted it down as much as I could,” Scott murmured, “It couldn’t have lasted any longer.”

 

He looked around as he passed Ruby the bottle topped up with water to feed the baby, “The rest of you should sleep, we don’t know how far civilisation is and we need to cover as much ground  as possible tomorrow.”

 

There was a murmur of agreement as the others drew as close as they dared to the fire for warmth. Scott went to take his place, hesitating as Virgil murmured his name, “What?”

 

Virgil nodded down to Brad, “Does he feel warm to you?” 

 

Scott checked the boys forehead, frowning at the heat of it, “He’s burning up.”

 

Virgil pursed his lips, “I think it’s his leg, I checked it when we stopped and… he needs a hospital Scott.”

 

Reaching up, he squeezed his brothers shoulder, wishing it were so simple. His smile was tight as he nodded, “We just have to keep going.”

 


	18. Chapter 18

They kept going the following day, sticking close to the river, fearing that if they wandered away they would lose their only sure source of water. Virgil didn’t disagree with the idea, but wished they had some idea of how far they would have to walk. The cuts and scrapes from the first day were sore on his feet, burning and stinging with each step he took. The weight of the young boy on his back probably didn’t help, but he wasn’t putting him down for anything, not in the state he was in. 

 

He had been groggy through the morning, refusing to wake without being pestered, and then grumpy and irritable as a result. His skin stayed constantly warm, but was paler than it had been two days before. Virgil hoped that he was wrong, that infection couldn’t have set in so soon, but he knew the likely reality. 

 

Looking up to the tops of the trees, he sighed, they’d have to stop soon. The light was against them, fading quicker under the cover of the trees, robbing them of precious time. 

 

“We’ll stop here.” Scott called from up ahead. 

 

“Come on Brad,” He muttered, reaching to swing the boy around to his front and down to the floor, frowning when he didn’t respond, “Hey, Brad?”

 

There was a low whine and incoherent mumble from the boy as he half opened his eyes, “I don’ feel well.”

 

“I know kid,” Virgil sighed, crouching down, “We’re gonna get you help real soon.”

 

He sniffed and reach up to wipe his cheek, “I miss Momma.”

 

Shoulders falling, Virgil sunk down next to him, taking him back in his arms, “Your Momma would be so proud of you for being so brave.”

 

Looking up as Scott passed him, Virgil shook his head, hoping he portrayed the message to his older brother loud and clear,  _ He can’t last another day _ . 

 

***

It was the cold breeze that woke Scott up, followed by the soft starts of the bird song, loud in the otherwise quiet forest. The sun hadn’t risen fully, leaving a grey tinge to his surroundings as he looked around. He shivered in his seat, the rain through the night having soaked them all to the bone, not helping with keeping out the cold. 

Using the tree he had sheltered against to help himself up, he sighed as he looked around, deciding to take a walk to help warm himself through.

Following the river further, he yawned as his joints loosened up, knowing that soon something would give. He didn’t like their chances, Brad was obviously sick, potentially septic, his sister not faring much better for a day without formula. Danielle was in constant pain with her arm, and Malique’s ankle slowing them down. They couldn’t keep going on the way they were. 

 

He frowned as the trees began to thin, spreading out one by one until he was in an open space looking down into a valley. Machinery littered the bottom of the soil churned valley, steel rusted and fractured. 

 

“It’s a collapsed mine,” He murmured to himself, raking the space from bottom to top with his eyes. Sucking in a hopeful breath he went to step forward, just further up the ridge from him there was a hut, he hoped an old office. 

 

An office would mean electrics, he hoped. 

 

He couldn’t help himself, he ran towards the crumbling wooden building. Slipping and skidding as he went, he winced as his ankle pulled. Still he kept going, huffing and panting as he reached the door. It was stiff on its rusted hinges, heavy as he dragged it open. 

Inside was dusty, papers strewn across the room, cobwebs strewn like streamers from the ceiling. It had obviously been left in a rush, the chair upturned, a pen forgotten on top of the stack of papers on the desk. 

 

“Oh thank god.” He sighed, leaning his weight back against the door frame for a moment. A comm sat in the corner of the desk, it was older, from before holograms became popular. As he investigated he could tell it was simply dead with age, but that didn’t make it useless. Routing in the drawers, he thanked whoever might have been listening for the tiny screwdriver left forgotten. 

 

Pocketing both, he looked up at the call from outside, going back to the door and looking back the way he had come as Virgil called his name again.

 

“Here!” He called back, “I’m coming!”

 

He went to step back onto the solid ground, hesitating as he heard shouts from his opposite side. The voices were familiar, not the same familiar as his brother’s voices, but people he had heard before and was sure he didn’t want to meet again. 

 

Not taking the chance, he bolted, running back towards Virgil, waving for his brother to move and hide out of view. He seemed to get the message, ducking back into the tree line and keeping out of sight. Scott found himself ducking, keeping as low as he could without really knowing why. 

 

When the tree ahead of him splintered, he knew his gut had been right. 

It was like he could feel his adrenaline surge, pushing him faster as he made the treeline back towards their makeshift camp. 

 

When he reached the small group, they were all already stood, waiting for his arrival. 

 

“There was a gunshot.” Ruby stated when he arrived, eyes wide, “What happened?”

 

“I think it’s Horst.” Scott gasped out, taking the comm and screwdriver from his pocket and thrusting them at Virgil, “Try that, I’ll keep them busy.”

 

“Scott!” Virgil snapped, reaching out to him.

 

He shook his head, there wasn’t time for arguing, “I’ll be careful.”

 

As careful as was possible when someone was trying to kill him. 

 

Stepping carefully, he stopped just inside the trees, listening and waiting. Their footsteps were loud, cumbersome as they came towards him. A twig by his foot thrown across to a neighbouring tree was enough to divert their attention whilst he darted in the opposite direction, putting more distance between him and them before he stepped out in the open. 

 

“What?” He yelled, arms spread wide, “Thought you’d killed all of us? Well guess again,” He smiled shrugging, “And now, I’ve got nothing to lose!”

 

He hoped the lie was enough, no matter how fake it sounded to his own ears. There was everything for him to lose. Swallowing hard against the bile that rose in his throat, he flinched as another bullet missed him by a fraction. 

 

Running again, he winced at the same pull in his ankle, the earlier twist coming back to haunt him. He stumbled, catching himself on a rock to keep himself going forward rather than down. A few more steps, another shot fired. That time he couldn’t keep his footing, instead falling to the floor. 

 

One of the guards was immediately on top of him, kicking and punching with sloppy untrained fists. Some he blocked, others he missed. Shoving his hand into the man’s shoulder, and his knee into his hip, was enough to send him falling down the slope alongside them. There wasn’t chance for him to stand before another was stood over him, rifle pointing in his face. 

 

Scott was trained though, and the goons clearly weren’t. He grabbed the end of the rifle, yanking hard before he could realise what what happening and using it to pull himself up. A flick of his wrist and the gunman was sent tumbling after the first. 

Looking up, he straightened his shoulders, taking easy aim on the third man stood facing him. He was the quicker of the two, firing without hesitation, wounding, not killing. 

 

The final pair appeared from the trees, both their guns trained on him. He aimed again, ready to fire, cursing as he pulled the trigger and nothing happened. 

 

“Go on then!” He yelled throwing the gun to the side, “What are you waiting for?”

 

As before, another bullet hit the tree next to him, too close for comfort. He turned to run, forgetting how close he was to the slope. The ground gave beneath him as a third and fourth shot rang out through the air. He scrambled for purchase, something to pull himself up. There wasn’t anything though, forcing him to duck into a roll as he fell along the soil and rocks down towards the bottom of the valley. 

 

Another gunshot, and a moment later white hot burning through his calf. He held in a scream, not daring to give away that he was hurt. Above him there was a yell, another gunshot, and then the blessed sound of VTOL. He looked up as he skidded to a stop, it wasn’t a Thunderbird, that much he could tell. 

 

“Thank god.” He sighed, relaxing into the soil, taking a deep breath, “Oh thank god.”

 

His calf stung and he knew he’d been shot. Inches in any direction and he might have been dead. He might have never seen Jen or the twins again. A lump caught in his throat at the thought, his hand reaching into his pocket to just  _ feel _ the photo there. 

 

They were safe. 


	19. Chapter 19

She knew she couldn’t face going back to the Island, there would be too many reminders of empty spaces, more than she knew she could deal with. So she had insisted on staying on the Mainland, keeping the kids busy with exploring the city whilst she could. Kayo and Penny flew over to keep her company, allowing her chance to take a breather when she needed.

 

It had been over three days and she was beginning to wonder if she needed to work out what to tell the twins. Not that over breakfast was the best time to tell them. She set their toast down for a forced smile, “Come on Luke, stop picking at it.”

 

“Not hungry.” Luke groused, pushing his place away, “Daddy promised he’d be here this weekend!”

 

“Uncle John said there were no rescues to Aunt Kay,” Lucy agreed, “So where is he Momma?”

 

She kissed both of their heads with a sigh, taking a moment to work out what she could say safely, “Your Dad--”

 

“Jen?” Penelope interrupted, stepping off of the last step with Finn, “Office, now. I’ll watch these two.”

 

She didn’t need telling twice, darting off up the stairs towards the office Kayo had been using to monitor the Island in her absence. 

 

“What is it?” She asked, straightening at the grim look on Kayo’s face. The younger woman held up one finger, forcing her to wait. 

 

“John, tell me,  _ now _ .”

 

There was an exasperated sigh across the comm, “We don’t  _ know _ Kayo, it’s just a signal at the moment, an SOS.”

 

Kayo glowered at the comm, “You really think that its location is a coincidence?”

 

Jen stepped forward, looking to the map above the desk with wide eyes, “Taz? Scott said they were Australia, is that…”

 

Kayo nodded, pursing her lips with a sigh before snapping, “Gordon halt launch until we know what’s happening. GDF are in the area.”

 

“Like hell,” Gordon scoffed, “That was an SOS on our frequency Kay, I’m going.”

 

“Well you can damn well pick us up on the way.” Jen snapped, “Penny will look after the twins.”

 

Gordon snorted, “You’re not leaving her alone with the twins and ready to have a baby herself.”

 

“Then we’ll bring them with us!” Jen insisted, looking to Kayo for backup.

 

“No.” He ground out, “I am not having the kids on this ship on my watch.”

 

“Gordon,  _ please _ ?” Jen begged, “The twins know to behave, they won’t…”

 

“No, Jen.” He snapped back, “And that’s my final answer.”

 

The comm cut out and she hand to use the desk to hold herself up. All she wanted was to help, to try and find Scott and Virgil and know what was going on. 

 

Kayo was next to her, wrapping a secure arm around her back in quiet comfort, “Don’t take it personally,” She told her, “It’s not that he doesn’t trust the kids.”

 

“Kay,” She sobbed, “I need to be out there, but I can’t just...”

 

“Bollocks to what Gordon says,” Penny murmured from the doorway, “I’ll stop here with them until you know what’s going on.”

 

“Could you ring the airport?” Kayo asked her, “Get them to prep Tracy One?”

 

Penny left silently, and Jen looked up to Kayo, not understanding why when she could finally  _ do _ something, her help was rejected.

 

“Thunderbird Two will pass rig--”

 

Kayo shook her head, rubbing Jen’s back soothingly, “Virgil and Gordon will never let the kids on board, not until they’re much older.”

 

“But--”

 

“Jen,” Kayo sighed, pursing her lips, “You know their Mom died on a rescue?”

 

She nodded, Scott had told her, a landslide right at the start of the christmas holidays.

 

Kayo’s lips pressed in a thin line before she spoke, “They don’t talk about it, but, Virgil and Gordon were there, Gordon’s just too young to really remember it. Virgil though, he saw it all.”

 

“He would have just been…”

 

“Nine.” Kayo filled in, “Do you understand?”

 

She nodded slowly, wiping her face with her hand, “Yeah.”

 

Kayo rubbed her back again, shrugging helplessly, “He said when you had the twins, no child in this family will ever go aboard an in flight Thunderbird if he can help it, not when there’s a risk of them seeing someone hurt.”

 

“We don’t know what they’re going to find.” Jen sighed, “I suppose it’s best.”

 

Another ring of the comm had both looking up in surprise, Kayo reached forward to answer the call shoulders falling at the sight of their Aunt.

 

“Colonel Casey?”

 

Her face was straight for a moment, before relaxing into a smile, “We’ve landed in Melbourne, Scott is in surgery but he’s going to be fine. Both of them are fine.”

 

Jen’s legs gave beneath her, dragging her down to the carpeted floor with a sob of relief, “They’re okay?”

 

Kayo was still frowning, “Why are we only just finding out?”

 

Casey frowned in return, “Virgil said that they found an old comm and sent out a signal on that, I assumed you all already knew and would be on your way?”

 

“We received a signal on the Island but only a short while ago, the others are flying out to it now.”

 

“The others are flying out?” Casey frowned, “Where?”

 

Kayo was already looking to Jen, “Colonel, can you call them and fill them in? We have a plane to catch.”

 

Casey nodded, “You do that ladies, I’ll deal with the boys. Fly safe.”

 

Jen swiped at her eyes as she shook her head, “He’s okay? He’s really okay?”

 

A hand stretched out to her, offering to help her up, “Let’s go and find out for ourselves.”


	20. Chapter 20

He hated the GDF transporters, too loud and slow for his liking. Not that he could complain, they came with medics and officers, people qualified to arrest those that had attacked them, and carry out first aid on those that needed it. 

Unfortunately, that also meant he was strapped to a gurney. 

 

“Just stay put Scott,” His Aunt told him, resting a hand on his shoulder, “You don’t want to cause any more damage to your leg.”

 

He snorted as he ran a hand through his hair, “You know I’m a restless person Aunt Val.”

 

She smiled, taking the seat facing him and leaning forward, “So you can distract yourself by telling me what happened.”

 

He sighed, so much had happened in such a short space of time, he wasn’t sure he could fit it all in. 

 

“It’s alright,” Val told him softly, “It doesn’t have to be a report, I just want to know.”

 

Scott shrugged, “After you rang they knocked me out, I don’t know what happened after that or where they went but I came around and they were gone.”

 

He told her about escaping and the bomb going off, and the two kids, how they had trekked through the forest in the hope of finding some sort of civilisation. 

 

As he finished, she shook her head, “So, up until now, how many victims?”

 

Scott glanced along the plane, towards where he knew Virgil was sat with Brad, “Up to now, two dead.”

 

She followed his look to the cot Virgil was knelt by, “Let’s hope it stays at that.”

 

He rubbed his scalp with his hands, shaking his head with a sigh, “I told him to not get attached.”

 

She snorted, reaching out to rest a hand on his knee, “When your brother was six he brought home a baby bird and insisted your mother helped make it better. He was nine he brought home a rabbit, and at eleven he insisted that he take an extra packed lunch for the kid in his class that never had anything.”

 

Scott raised a tired eyebrow at her, tilting his head slightly too tired to sum up her point, “And what you’re saying is…”

 

“Virgil can’t help but get attached.”

 

Scott couldn’t help but snort as he looked back down, nodding slightly in admission, “Yeah, I guess you’re right there.”

 

“Trust me,” She smiled, settling back in her seat, “I am.”

 

He leant back into the gurney shifting to get as comfortable as he could in the lumpy mattress. It physically hurt to know how desperate his brother was for both young children to pull through. The thought reminded him of his own two children, making his heart clench painfully. 

 

Twisting, he tried to reach above his head to his coat draped across the chair behind him.

 

“I’ve got it,” Val murmured, taking the jacket, “What did you want?”

 

“The inside pocket,” He sighed, “There’s a photo.”

 

She took the photo out, pausing to look at it with a small smile before handing it over to him. He took it gratefully, holding it up to look at it, his thumb smoothing over the faces of his family. Swallowing hard, he forced a smile, it wasn’t the time for a breakdown, not then. 

 

“They’re going to be so pleased to see you,” Val whispered, “They’ll tell you all about school and their week in the city,”

 

“They’re gonna be mad,” Scott shook his head, “I promised I’d be there to pick them up on Friday.”

 

“I’m sure they’ll forgive you.”

 

It wasn’t a case of forgiveness, he’d already told himself, he should never have made a promise he hadn’t been sure he’d be able to keep. They’d gotten lucky, of that he was sure. He didn’t like to count the number of times that they could have been killed in the space of just a few days but he knew that for once he couldn’t simply pretend things were all fine. 

 

“Did you get Horst?” Scott asked quietly. 

 

His Aunt shook her head with a heavy sigh, “He got away but we know he hasn’t got the list of names, so that’s something.”

 

“He could have killed us.”

 

“You know, there’s a reason I told you to not get involved.” She told him, her eyes hardening ever so slightly. 

 

Scott groaned, “Yeah I know, but we couldn’t just…  _ leave _ them.”

 

Casey shook her head, “We would have found another way Scott, one that kept you safe and got everyone out of there.”

 

He knew it wasn’t intended as a snipe at the fact two people had died, but the reminder was there and it hit like a punch in the gut. Looking away he swallowed hard, not sure what else they could have done for either Freya or Lexi. A hand squeezed gently on his shoulder, quietly supporting him, “It wasn’t your fault.” 

 

“Colonel, Mister Tracy,” The medic approached them, “We will be landing in ten minutes, once we arrive the surgeon is happy to take you straight in for surgery to remove the bullet and repair the damage.”

 

Scott looked up to his aunt, “Will you call Jen? Tell her I’m okay?”

 

“She might already be there,” She smiled, squeezing his shoulder, “Virgil said you found a comm.”

 

Scott frowned, “I assumed that’s how you knew--”

 

She shook her head, cutting him off, “We were a few miles up the river and heard the gunfire, followed the sound and found you.”

 

Patting his shoulder again, she smiled softly, “It’s not a worry for now, you focus on healing.”

 

He nodded, looking down himself with a sigh before relaxing back into the gurney, taking a minute to just stop and be grateful he was alive. 


	21. Chapter 21

He’d carried Amy in, refusing to let go of her until she was in an incubator and the doctors all but pushed him out. Keeping on eye on her, he glanced across to the opposite side of the emergency treatment room where more doctors were seeing to Brad. Pursing his lips he took a sharp breath in, saying a silent prayer that both would pull through. 

 

“Virgil Tracy?”

 

He hesitated, too worried about the children to turn at his name. It was only when a hand touched his arm, he finally drew his attention away. 

His eyes widened as he recognised the woman that had drew his attention, before frowning in confusion.

 

“I thought we were in Melbourne?”

 

She laughed, taking his arm to guide him over to the empty bed in the room, nudging him to sit down. Part of her hair fell over her eye as she looked down, and he couldn’t help but instinctively tuck it back behind her ear. 

 

“We  _ are _ in Melbourne, I moved from Wellington over here a couple of months back,” She tilted her head with a smile, “Don’t tell me you boys haven’t been into the ER there since I left?”

 

He snorted, scratching the back of his head, “We mustn’t have.”

 

“Well I think that’s some kind of record for you.” She glanced around, “I heard that you were on your way in and thought I’d best get myself down here.”

 

“I’m glad you collared him before I had to Imogen.”

 

Both looked up at his Aunt's voice, making Virgil wince with a shake of his head, “I’m fine, really.”

 

Ginny smiled as she turned back to him, “I’ll be the judge of that.” She looked back to Val with a raised eyebrow, “We were just discussing how the boys didn’t know I’d moved.”

 

Val smiled as she looked to Virgil, “Let the Doctor do her job. Though I don’t doubt you’ll be able to manage him Ginny, you’re just as well practised in these boys as I am.”

 

Ginny tilted her head, as if considering something as she snapped her glove against her wrist, her smile was wicked as she looked to him, “I’ll play nice seeing as you’re my favourite Tracy.”

 

Val laughed, shaking her head, “I’ll come and find you once Scott’s out of surgery.”

 

Virgil sighed, “Make sure he stays put! No wandering around trying to check on everyone.”

 

“See,” Ginny smiled, “Always the sensible one Virgil.”

 

He looked back to her with a smirk of his own, “Unless I’m the patient.”

 

She nodded in agreement, “For an EMT, you are a terrible patient.”

 

He snorted at her as she took the heart monitor and clipped it to his finger, “I’m sure I remember your colleagues at Wellington saying just the same about you.”

 

She grimaced but didn’t reply as she checked the monitor, “Heart’s all good and normal.” Looking back to him she nodded, “Shirt off.”

 

He smirked, “Doctor! We’re in the presence of children.”

 

“ _ Now _ Tracy.” She commanded, turning away to attach the blood pressure cuff to the machine. 

 

Stripping off, he winced at the stiffness in his shoulders and back, no doubt a result of carrying Brad for as long as he had. At the memory, he found himself looking to the bed the boy was laid out on, hooked up to various drips and monitors. 

 

“Who’s the boy?” Ginny asked, following his gaze, “You’re not a Dad, are you?”

 

“Uh,” He looked back to her, sighing as he shook his head, “No, just one that we rescued, we were there with them as his mom died.”

 

Her shoulders fell, her eyes softening as she looked to him, “Shit. Does he have a dad?”

 

Virgil shook his head, shrugging off his shirt, “They’re orphans.”

 

“Poor thing.” Ginny sighed, watching the child a moment longer before looking back to him. Her eyes widened and mouth dropped as she did, “Shit Virg! What the hell happened?”

 

Ginny had seen their family through a lot. Through breaks, knocks and everything in between, she’d been one of the Doctors that had always been there to put them back together in the emergency room. Even if it wasn’t something relating to them, Virgil couldn’t count the number of times they’d met her out on rescues, assisting with those injured or hurt. 

Ginny had seen a lot. Ginny wasn’t phased by much, yet she clearly seemed shock by the state of his torso. 

 

“It looks worse than it is,” He shrugged, wiping at a smear of dried blood, “See?”

 

“Bull,” She uttered, “You’re having a full body scan.”

 

His shoulder fell, “Ginny,” He whined, knowing he sounded like a petulant child, “I’m  _ fine _ .”

 

She raised an eyebrow, folding her arms as she shook her head, “Want to try that again?”

 

Shrugging, he sighed, “I might have had a concussion, but it was over twenty four hours ago now. All this,” he gestured to his chest, “Is from being down a cave and in the vicinity of a blast.”

 

The way she looked at him had him pursing his lips in worry, her eyes were piercing and demanding, “Anything else I should know? Or should I drag your Aunt back in here and let her get it out of you?”

 

“Down the cave we were walking barefoot,” He murmured softly, feeling like a scolded child agan, “My feet are pretty shredded.”

 

She nodded, “Now we’re getting somewhere, see how easy it is when you cooperate?”

 

“Ginny,” He sighed, finally letting the tiredness catch up to him, “We’re Tracy’s, when do we ever cooperate?”

 

“You’ve not got your brothers here to back you up,” She challenged going to a cupboard, “I expect you to cooperate fully on my watch.”

 

Holding out the gown she had taken from the cupboard, she raised an eyebrow, “When I come back I expect you to be changed and resting on the bed.”

 

Rolling his eyes he grinned, “So specific Doctor. Where are you going?”

 

She was already drawing the curtain around him, pausing to look at him before she closed the gap, “I’m going to find out about this kid for you.”

 

As the gap closed, he let himself sink back into the mattress, lumpy and uncomfortable as it was. For just a second he’d close his eyes, then he’d get changed. In just a second...


	22. Chapter 22

 

He had refused to lie flat in the bed as the Doctors had told him, still too on edge to fully relax, it was easier, comfier to sit up at the end of the bed. From there he could see the goings on of the ward as doctors and nurses came and went. He was waiting for Jen, Val had promised him that she was on her way, yet from where and by what means he wasn’t sure. 

Next to him a machine started bleeping, a piercing, irritating noise. Looking from the catheter in the back of his hand, along the plastic tubing and up to the bag of fluids, he sighed in slight relief. The bag was empty, meaning that he would soon be free and not tethered to a drip stand wherever he went. 

 

“Let me get that for you.” One of the nurses smiled to him as she stepped towards the machine and began to press buttons, “Why don’t you lie down Mister Tracy?”

 

He glanced up the bed, shaking his head, “Too restless,” looking down to his bandaged leg he shrugged, “If it weren’t for this leg I’d be up and about.”

 

Her smile was sweet, sympathetic as she tilted her head slightly, “None of that, you’ll only make it worse.”

 

“I promise,” He assured, nodding tiredly as she detached the tubing from the back of his hand, “I won’t wander off until the doctor gives me an all clear.”

 

Stepping back, she wound the piping around the drip bag, “I’ll get the doctor to come and check you over now.”

 

His smile was tight, he knew it probably looked forced as he nodded his thanks to her before looking down to his leg again. 

 

It had been close. Too close. 

 

_ What would Jen be doing now if you hadn’t have made it?  _ He asked himself,  _ What about the others? I could have missed the twins, everything… just like-- _ he cut the thought off before it could get any further, taking a breath as he rubbed his scalp with his hands. 

 

_ You’re alright _ , He told himself,  _ You’re fine. Nothing happened. _

 

“Scott!” 

 

It took longer than it should have for him to process the call. His head snapped up as she slammed into him. It was instinct to wrap his arms around her and inhale deeply, “Hey,” he murmured, “It’s okay, I’m home.”

 

His own words took a moment to process before he whispered again, “I’m home.”

 

She pulled back, her hands light against his skin as she checked him over. The words didn’t need to be said for him to know what she was thinking,“You need a shave.”

 

He chuckled as he pulled her back into him, “I won’t argue there.”

 

She laughed, leaning down to kiss him before pulling back, “That’s all you’re getting until you’ve got rid of that beard.”

 

She didn’t protest when he hugged her again, nodding in agreement, “You’d better find me a razor then.”

 

Jen was quiet as he leant into her chest, her arms secure around his shoulders. Resting his head against her chest, he took a deep breath, reality finally catching up with him as he held her close. She rubbed his back lightly, rocking gently,  “You okay?”

 

He swallowed breathing deeply before shaking his head slightly, “I thought we weren’t coming back.”

 

Jen pulled back, reaching to wipe a stray tear from his cheek, “You made it, you know you’re stronger than that,”

 

He smiled, taking her hand to kiss as he sighed in contentment.

 

“Hey, found him!” 

 

Both looked up at the call, Scott smiling at Gordon, “There goes our five minutes.”

 

“They’ve been worried.” Jen murmured a moment before Scott was bombarded, tackled back into the mattress by his youngest two brothers. He fell back, laughing as he hugged them both tightly. Jen smiled as she watched, wrapping her arms around herself to hold the ghost of his hug closer for a moment longer. 

 

“Where have you guys been?” Scott smiled, glancing across to her and reaching out for her hand. She took it gladly, squeezing in reassurance that he was just  _ there. _

 

“We didn’t get your signal from Taz until you were already here,” Gordon explained, “We were flying out there on Two when Aunt Val called us to say you were here and in surgery.”

 

Scott frowned, making Jen smooth her thumb over the back of his hand to calm him. He looked to her with a sigh, shaking his head, “Aunt Val said they didn’t get the signal either.”

 

John shrugged, “They had some pretty good kit, maybe the leader—“

 

“Horst.” Scott stated.

 

“Maybe he had a signal block in place,” John continued, “once he left the area your signal was free to come through.”

 

“Really it was Virgil’s signal.” Scott admitted, looking up.

 

Jen frowned, glancing around the recovery ward, having expected the brothers to be in beds close together. She saw Gordon tense as he came to the same realisation, each of them looking to Scott as they found one was missing from their ranks. 

 

“He’s fine,” Scott was quick to assure, “He didn’t get hurt.”

 

She tensed slightly, wondering just what hid beneath his hospital gown other than a bandaged leg. Val had said he was hurt, that he had needed surgery but to look at him, he seemed fine. No doubt he would try to brush off her worry. 

 

“He’s with the kids,” Scott sighed, shifting back to the end of the bed, “I should go and--”

 

“You’ll stop right there young man,” A commanding voice ordered from across the ward, “Need I remind you, how long it is since you got out of surgery?”

 

“Aunt Val,” Scott complained ”I’m fine, really.”

 

Val snorted as she folded her arms stood at the end of the bed, “Your brothers words, not mine, he said you’re to stay put. Besides, he’s distracted with the kids, you’re not going to get anything out of him.”

 

“Kids?” Alan asked.

 

Scott squeezed Jen’s hand looking up to her, opening his mouth in question. She smiled as she shook her head, “They’re in Auckland still with Penny, Kayo will fly them out later.”

 

He pursed his lips, “Are they mad?”

 

She shook her head, understanding where his worry had come from but knowing it was unfounded. Kids were kids, and once they heard the adventure their father had been on, they would no doubt forget he had ever missed their first week at school.

 

“Mister Tracy,” a nurse smiled as she approached the group, “we are going to transfer you to a room now and then the doctor will come and check you over.”

 

“We’ll get out of your way,” Val nodded, giving Jen a smile before turning to the three boys, “Come on, he will be home tonight for you to plague.”

 

All three hesitated, Gordon the most as he frowned and looked to her, opening his mouth to say something. Jen shook her head, “Later, Gordon.”

 

He sighed and nodded, turning away as John raised his chin, “Keep him out of trouble in the meantime.”

 

Jen smiled, nodding as she ran her fingers through Scott’s hair, “I plan on doing so.”


	23. Chapter 23

He was exhausted as he sunk down in the hard plastic seat outside the children’s ward, Ginny had gone ahead, promising to find out what news she could on both Brad and Amy. It was the only reason he’d managed to get out of that damned bed, a compromise that once he knew both would be okay, he would rest. 

 

“Okay,” Ginny sighed as she returned, “Amy’s fine, she’s warming up nicely, they’ve got her on fluids and she’s had some formula so they’re happy with how she’s doing.”

 

His stomach lurched in anticipation at the thought of what would come next if she had started with how Amy was. Swallowing, he shook his head, “What about Brad?”

 

She sighed, sinking down to her knees in front of him and taking both of his hands in hers. He couldn’t help but notice how rough and dry her skin was, no doubt from having to constantly clean and wash them. 

 

“That cut on his leg, it was seriously infected and had developed into sepsis.” She hesitated, sighing again as she shook her head slowly, “There was too much risk in trying to treat it with antibiotics, his system was already failing--”

 

“He’s not…” He cut her off, not able to finish the question, shoulders falling in relief as she quickly shook her head, “So what? He’s alive, but…”

 

The way she bit her lip wasn’t promising as she looked down, “Virgil, they’re having to amputate his leg.”

 

His entire body collapsed deeper into the seat, his strength leaving him at the news. Only one word came to mind but he knew he couldn’t say it, not sat outside the children’s ward.

 

“He’s just a kid,” He swallowed, “hasn’t he already lost enough? His family, his life, and now this? How is that fair on him? On his sister?”

 

Ginny was shaking her head, “It’s not Virgil, it really isn’t.”

 

He looked to the doors of the ward, “Can I see them? We promised their Mom that we would make sure they were okay, I need to see for myself.”

 

She smiled softly as she nodded, “Yeah, the Doctor treating them both will come and see you when they’re happy that you can go and see them both.”

 

“Thanks,” He swallowed, squeezing her hand with a tight smile, “Really Ginny, you’ve been a star.”

 

Her smile was more natural as she straightened up, reaching to touch his shoulder as she did, “I told you, happy to help my favourite Tracy as long as you cooperate with me.” Nudging him gently her eyes hardened slightly, “Make sure you get some rest.”

 

He nodded, “I promise I will.”

 

Once she had left, it didn’t stay quiet for long. The general hubbub of the hospital he could drown out, it was an art he was well practiced in. As his mind spun with thoughts of the two children, he couldn’t help but let himself fade away from his immediate surroundings. 

 

“I should have made you use a wheelchair.” 

 

He smirked, opening one eye to glance down the corridor as Scott replied to Jen, “I’m fine, it’s just because I’m tired.”

 

Sitting forward he raised an eyebrow at his older brother, “I thought we told you to stay in bed and rest?”

 

Jen gasped as she turned to him, leaving Scott’s side to run over to him and wrap him in a hug. He hugged her back, smiling as she squeezed him tightly, “Hey Jen.”

 

She pulled back, holding his shoulders as she checked him over, “How are you?”

 

“Tired.” He admitted, “Ginny checked me over and gave me the all clear… did you know she’d transferred over here?”

 

Jen grinned as she snorted, “I always said she liked you most,” She glanced back down the corridor, “She sent us in this direction actually, caught Scott making a break for it on his crutches.”

 

Virgil eyed his brother as he sunk down in the seat next to him, crutches clattering to the floor, “How’s the leg?”

 

Scott shrugged, “Painkillers are starting to wear off,”

 

Jen frowned, stepping back to look at Scott, “You said it wasn’t anything, that you didn’t need painkillers?”

 

Scott looked up to her, “I didn’t, before. Now I do.”

 

Her frown deepened and Virgil was glad he wasn’t the one on the receiving end as he glanced to Scott who had also sunk backwards in his seat. 

 

“What actually happened?” Jen asked.

 

“He hasn’t told you?” Virgil raised an eyebrow looking to Scott, “Why haven’t you told her?” 

 

“I haven’t had chance!” Scott tried to defend himself, “Besides, it’s nothing serious.”

 

“What isn’t?” Jen snapped. 

 

Virgil nodded, gesturing to Jen, “Tell her. Go on,”

 

Scott shook his head, throwing his brother a pleading look, “It’s fine, no need to worry her now.”

 

“Scott,” Jen warned, “How did you get hurt?”

 

He squirmed under her look but remained quiet, looking down to avoid her gaze. 

 

Virgil sighed and looked up to her, “He decided to use himself as bait, to draw six gunmen away from us by using himself as a target.” 

 

It was for all their sakes that he spared her the detail of what happened after the shoot out, Scott had enough sense, he would tell her when it was the right time. 

 

Jen looked to Scott, eyes wide as she gaped, “You… hang on, you… sleep deprived, hungry, dehydrated… are you a complete idiot? Damn Scott, if you weren’t recovering from surgery I’d punch you myself! What kind of imbecile does that? Have you never heard of self preservation?” 

 

He could see the rage rising in her as her hands balled into fists, her shoulders squared and her jaw clenched. Scott looked the exact opposite, small and exhausted, burnt out as he curled in on himself, only his hand extending forward to take hers as he spoke, “I thought we weren’t coming home.”

 

Virgil had to swallow at his brothers words, yes, he had thought them too, but he had always been quick to beat the idea away, refusing to give in to what the terrorists wanted. He looked away as Jen stepped closer to Scott, shaking her head as she reached out to brush his cheek before pulling him into a tight hug. Both would be fine, he was sure of that much. Once Scott was recovered they’d probably hash it out.

 

He looked back as Jen’s hand touched his shoulder, her smile thin and watery as she wiped her cheek, a mouthed  _ thank you _ was all she said. It was all that was needed. 

 

“Mister Tracy?” A man in scrubs asked as he stepped through the door, “I’m doctor Morag, you wanted to know about the two children brought in?”

 

Virgil stood quickly, “Can I see them?”

 

“Brad is still recovering in our ICU, but you can see Amy,” He glanced past him towards Scott and Jen, “I’m afraid only two at a time.”

 

“I’ll come,” Jen looked to Scott, “You stay put.”

 

He raised his hands, “Not moving!”

 

*******

 

He had to smile as Jen’s face lit up at the sight of the baby in the incubator, the tubes and wires didn’t phase her as she reached in to brush her finger across the girl’s open palm. 

 

“Oh she’s gorgeous,” Jen cooed, “You are absolutely gorgeous little lady.”

 

Virgil hesitated as he stepped over to the clear plastic box, “She’s a little fighter.”

 

“She looks it,” Jen agreed, looking up to him, “Scott said she had a brother?”

 

He nodded, swallowing as he looked away, “Yeah, she does.”

 

Something in his voice or his expression must have caught Jen’s attention as she stepped around the incubator to him, taking his arm and guiding him to sit in the armchair in the corner of the room. She rubbed his arm gently as she crouched, “What?”

 

He sniffed, wiping the damp tracks from his cheeks, not really sure where they had come from. Taking a breath he sighed, pursing his lips, “He got sepsis, they’ve had to amputate his leg.”

 

“Oh god,” Jen sighed, “That’s dreadful. Is there anything we can do for him?” She looked back to Amy again, “For both of them?”

 

Looking up to the incubator he shrugged, “We promised their Mom that we’d make sure they were okay, I’m not sure how we’re going to do that.”

 

Jen rubbed his arm, pursing her lips as she followed his gaze, “We’ll find a way. We have to,”

 

He leant into her side as she stood straight, keeping one arm wrapped around his shoulders as she did so. Rubbing her back, he sighed softly, “If you’d have had a voice at their age, what would you have wanted?”

 

Next to him she stilled and he wondered if he had crossed a line. It wasn’t that she didn’t like to talk about her childhood, she had always been quite open about it, just on her own terms. 

 

“How old is the boy?”

 

“Five,” Virgil murmured, “A couple of months younger than the twins I think.”

 

Jen nodded slowly, sighing as she looked down to him and rubbed his back, “All I would have wanted was for someone to read me a bedtime story, and know that someone cared,” She squeezed his shoulder, “These two kids have lost everything, their Dad, their Mom, their home. I always questioned why everything always went away, I’d bet he will be wondering the same.”

 

He smiled as he reached out to Amy, brushing the palm of her hand with his finger, “Hear that Kid? I’ve got to read you some stories and keep you company, you and your big brother.”

 

Jen went back to the opposite side of the incubator, looking in with a soft smile, “I wish you could come home with me.”

 

Virgil snorted as he looked up to her, “And what would Scott say about that?”

 

She smiled as she raised an eyebrow, “We wouldn’t worry about that would we now Amy? I’m sure you could win him over.” 

 

He sighed as he stood up, glancing to the door and wondering how Brad was. Looking to Jen, his shoulders fell slightly, “Do you think they’ll be alright?”

 

Her eyes were soft, concerned as she reached out to his arm and squeezed gently, “If you and Scott have promised to see them right, I don’t doubt that they’ll be fine.”

 

Smiling he looked back to Amy, his finger still stroking the soft skin of her palm. Jen was right, he would do anything to see the pair right. He’d been there, lost a parent at a fragile age, and he wished he could have saved Freya to spare Brad the hurt that he knew would come. Instead all he could do was his best in looking out for the pair, making sure they were both healthy and happy, no matter where they ended up. 


End file.
